KUCHING: The Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture had approved more than 200 tourism event applications to be held throughout Sarawak this year.
But Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the excessive number of events has resulted in not all events being able to be included in the tourism calendar.
“The approved events include film productions, sports events, cultural events, and food events. But not all of these events can be listed in the tourism calendar due to the large number,” he said.
“We (the ministry) will hold media briefings from time to time to provide updates on approved events that may not be included in the tourism calendar,” he said.
He said this at a press conference after the launching of Quick Fact Book 2023, Calendar of Events (COE) 2024, and the 9th Sarawak Hornbill Tourism Awards (2019 – 2023) here Monday.
Karim said the 2024 Tourism Events Calendar (CoE2024) features 88 events across the state.
“This includes our iconic events such as the Rainforest World Music Festival, Sarawak International Dragon Boat Race, Kuching Marathon, and Borneo Jazz Festival,” he said.
Earlier, Karim stated that Sarawak aims to achieve its target of four million domestic and international tourists this year.
Last year, he said Sarawak recorded the arrival of three million tourists, with the target achieved in the first week of October.
