KUCHING: The Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts is currently finalising the Sarawak tourism calendar for 2024.
According to minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, approximately 100 programmes are targeted to be held this year, including possibly some major events to attract tourists from both domestic and international markets.
He mentioned that among the events that might be included are major events such as the Regatta and Rainforest World Music Festival.
“In an effort to achieve the target number of tourist arrivals, various types of programmes will be held every week, including food and cultural festivals, music events, sports, and tourism.
“With this planning, it is hoped to increase the number of tourist arrivals and provide an exciting experience for those visiting Sarawak.”
However, he noted that further information regarding this event calendar has not yet been fully decided, and a press conference will be held in the future to announce the full calendar of exciting events to be held throughout the year.
Abdul Karim made these remarks during a media session after officiating the Integrity Day of the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts on Wednesday (Feb 7).
With the inclusion of various programmes in this tourism calendar, he said it is hoped to achieve four million tourist arrivals to the state this year.
Last year, he said Sarawak recorded three million tourist arrivals, with this achievement reached in the first week of October.
However, he made it clear that even though Sarawak almost reached nearly four million tourist arrivals by the end of last year, there is no guarantee that the number will increase this year.
“This is because other countries are also actively promoting their tourism industries. Therefore, Sarawak needs to work harder to attract more tourists. The goal this year is to attract four million tourists, which is a significant achievement if successful.
“With the cooperation between government agencies and support from the Premier’s Office, we hope Sarawak can drive the growth of the tourism industry and achieve the set goals.”
On the Integrity Day, Abdul Karim said his ministry fully supports efforts to combat corruption by implementing the MS ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management System (ABMS) certification.
“This ministry was selected as one of the pioneering agencies in this certification, and the certification process is expected to be implemented in early 2025.
“This ABMS certification will focus on the ministry’s grant distribution process, and it is hoped that this step will ensure clarity in the ministry’s services.”
