KUCHING: Concerted efforts are needed to effectively promote Sarawak as a tourist destination to attract more foreign tourists.
Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing said there are many international travellers who still do not recognise Sarawak as a tourist destination or one of the must-visit places in Malaysia, despite the fact that Sarawak is blessed with natural beauty, resources and a rich cultural heritage.
“Thus, the state’s tourism ministry and relevant departments must step up efforts in promoting Sarawak at the global level.
“The same goes to other states where we need the involvement of all relevant parties to think of the best measures to promote the tourism industry in the post-pandemic period,” he said.
Tiong said this is the right time for the country to start attracting foreign tourists, as the world is gradually recovering from the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic while most countries around the world have already opened their borders.
As such, he said, the tourism players should place greater focus and emphasis on foreign tourists, especially from Southeast Asia and the Asian region, including China, which is expected to reopen its border anytime soon.
“People in China are now ready to travel, whether for business or leisure purposes, thus, we need to grab this golden opportunity to attract them to visit Malaysia,” he said.
“This is important as China is one of the major economic powerhouses in the world and also our country’s trading partner – thus increasing the tourists from China to Malaysia will boost the local economy and strengthen the ties between the two countries,” he added.
Tiong also urged MOTAC personnel to eliminate out-dated thinking in order to compete with countries in the Southeast Asian region such as Thailand and Vietnam to attract foreign tourists.
“It is very important for the ministry to do something aggressively to remain competitive. We also need to find a way on how the tourism sector can look into aspects of connectivity, new attractions, availability of quality tourism infrastructure and service through strategic cooperation,” he said.
The ministry, he said, will focus on strengthening strategic cooperation with industry partners, especially in intensifying efforts to promote Malaysia at the international level.
At the same time, he said MOTAC also needs to re-establish goals based on key performance indicators or KPIs and all members of the ministry, including agencies under MOTAC, need to be committed.
“I also reminded them that the Prime Minister has high hopes for MOTAC to attract more foreign tourists next year, further bringing economic benefits to the people and the country,” he added.
