KUCHING: Sarawak tourism industry is set to receive a boost as Indonesia AirAsia announced a new tri-weekly direct flight from Jakarta to Kuching and vice versa, starting on June 15, 2023.
The announcement has been welcomed by Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts Deputy Minister Datuk Snowdan Lawan who believes that the new flight route will save expenses and travel time for passengers by bypassing Kuala Lumpur en route.
“This direct flight will be a direct benefit to our tourism industry. Sarawak had longed for this flight to come true, and here we are now.
“We will see our tourism grow, be it medical, official, education, sports, or social tourism,” he said in statement yesterday.
He asserted that the new flight route would draw the two cities closer, making accessibility easier and promoting entrepreneurship and business deals attached to tourism.
The promotions, such as low fares, he said, are part of some fine initiatives introduced together with the three-times-a-week flights.
With the new incoming flights, Sarawak hopes to see a rise in foreign tourists’ arrivals, spending, and other spin-off effects such as hotel accommodations, entertainment, purchases, and transport, besides complementing existing cultural exchanges.
“We anticipate adjusting our tourists’ arrivals figures too for this year and onwards,” he added.
