THE RM65 million Gastronomy Centre will be completed in 2025.
Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim said theground-breaking project stands as a testament to Kuching’s commitment to sustainable development.
He assured that extensive groundwork is in progress, complemented by an awareness campaign publicised on www.kuchingcreativecity.com.
“Kuching’s membership of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network has just passed its second year anniversary.
“The city continues to strive in implementing action plans and develop partnerships for the goals under its sustainable development agenda.
“While the RM65 million Gastronomy Centre is under development, extensive groundwork is being implemented to prepare for its completion in 2025,” he said.
He said this during his ministerial winding-up speech in the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) today.
Abdul Karim asserted that the city’s gastronomic journey is set to be highlighted on the international stage, as Kuching joins 57 other cities on the combined Cities of Gastronomy website.
He said that the ongoing collaboration with the Sarawak Tourism Federation and the Sarawak Tourism Board to curate a series of gastronomic tourism packages for launch in 2024 is also currently in progress.
On the same note, Karim said his ministry is preparing information on Sarawak’s unique creative and cultural context for the Mondiacult (a decision-making meeting that helps shape the world’s cultural policies and especially the relationship between culture and development) survey.
This, he said, aims to advocate globally the inclusion of culture in the post-2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
Abdul Karim added that engagements with the creative communities of Kuching through a series of townhalls and forums were held to prepare submissions to the cabinet for a body to promote the role of the creative industries in urban regeneration.
“This will boost our destination profile as a creative city and our creative industry exports through this important network of 350 cities worldwide under UNESCO.”
