KUCHING: The Sarawak government, through the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, has set aside RM2.25 million to revive the state’s tourism industry.
Its minister, Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the fund would be used to gradually pick up post Covid-19 through three major incentive measures — Visitors Incentive Package (VIP) with allocation of RM1 million, Sarawak Tourism Online Ecosystem Fund with RM250,000 and Business Events Planners Incentivised Package (BEPIP) worth RM1 million.
The VIP assistance included an incentive of RM30 per person for the first four pax and additional RM20 per pax for a three-day two-night (3D2N) tour package, RM40 per person for the first four pax and additional RM25 per pax for a 4D3N tour package, and RM50 per person for the first four pax and additional RM30 per pax for a 5D4N tour package.
“The incentives are applicable for tour packages which include accommodation at hotels or homestays purchased through licensed tour companies but not for free and easy visits.
“It is only applicable to groups with a minimum of four pax and a maximum of 15 pax at any one-time excluding children below two years old,” Abdul Karim told a press conference after a post Covid-19 dialogue session with the industry players at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) here today.
On the Sarawak Tourism Online Ecosystem Fund, he said any licensed tour operators involved in inbound tours were eligible to apply for the incentive of a maximum RM5,000 for either website development, design and maintenance costs, booking engine costs, digital advertising or content production.
“Both incentives will be available from July 1 to Dec 31 this year. The application form can be downloaded at www.sarawaktourism.com,” said Abdul Karim.
For the BEPIP, he said the ministry, through Sarawak Convention Bureau, would be offering three special support packages made for Business and Events (BE) planners — BEPIP for State Convention Fund (SCF), Homegrown Conventions and Exhibitions Seed Fund (BEHomegrown) as well as BEPIP for Business Events Development Programme.
“The packages will be applicable for 2020 and will continue until 2022,” he pointed out.
Under BEPIP, Abdul Karim said efforts would also be taken to promote its latest marketing campaign known as ‘Business Events Build Stronger Communities’ which focused on collaborations among industry partners as well as connecting BE planners and industry partners through virtual education platform ‘TriBE Digital Campus’ to cultivate business opportunities.
For more details on BEPIP, contact BESarawak senior business development manager Donny Tan at 082-242516.
