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Boosting Sarawak’s Tourism Industry in 2014
A
s one of the most lucrative
industries in Malaysia, the
tourism industry is expected
to garner total receipts of RM168
billion by 2020. According to
Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk
Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz,
Malaysia is expected to earn that
amount from the targeted 36 million
tourist arrivals by 2020 under the
Malaysia Tourism Transformation
Plan (MTTP).
Looking at Sarawak, if the current
trend continues, total tourism
receipts could breach the double
digit RM10 billion revenue figure
during Visit Malaysia Year 2014
(VMY2014), spurred by higher
spending from more tourist arrivals
and participations in various events
and conferences.
According to data from the Ministry
of Tourism Sarawak, the state
recorded RM6.62 billion in total
tourism receipts in 2010, RM7.91
billion in 2011 and RM8.57 billion in
2012. Given such an upward trend,
total tourism receipts fetched more
than RM9 billion in 2013 and could
potentially increased to more than
RM10 billion in 2014.
Meanwhile, Sarawak will showcase
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its own activities and promotional
events to attract more tourists
to visit the state in conjunction
with VMY2014. These events are
envisaged to draw more tourists
besides lifting the economy by
encouraging more spending and
travels.
Some of the top annual events and
highlights include Rainforest World
Music Festival, Borneo International
Yachting Challenge, Sarawak
Regatta, Borneo Jazz, Mukah Kaul
Festival, World Harvest Festival,
Borneo International Kite Festival,
Borneo Cultural Festival and Tidal
Bore Carnival.
Sarawak Tourism Minister Datuk
Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg said,
“The Ministry of Tourism Sarawak
will highlight 13 major tourism
events in conjunction with VMY
2014. These 13 major events will
create excitement and provide value
added activities for tourists to see
and do while visiting Sarawak.”
He added: “In preparation for
VMY 2014, the Ministry of Tourism
Sarawak will launch our very own
Visit Sarawak Year campaign. This
will prepare the State tourism
industry on the anticipated influx
of tourists. At the end of 2014, we
hope to achieve increased arrivals
and increased revenue for the
tourism sector. We want to increase
tourism contribution towards our
Gross Domestic Product’s (GDP)
growth to second place from third
place currently.”
Openg pointed out that the ministry
is eyeing 4.2 million of tourist
arrivals in 2014, a progressive
increase from an estimated figure of
4.1 million in 2013.He revealed that
there were four million of tourist
arrivals in 2012. Out of the four
million visitors, 2.63 million people
were foreign visitors and 1.4 million
people were domestic travellers.
From the 2.63 million foreign tourist
arrivals, 1.73 million were from
Brunei, followed by 417,072 people
from Indonesia, 113,174 people
from The Philippines, 55,674 people
from Singapore and 43,326 people
from China. The top three biggest
percentages increased of foreign
arrivals into Sarawak last year were
from the Middle East (87%); Thailand
(78.3%) and Bangladesh (67.2%).
Openg said, ““Sarawak has always
been consistent in offering our
unique selling point (USP) of culture,
adventure and nature (CAN). We will
still be offering those specialties and
will target the meetings, incentives,
conferences and exhibitions (MICE)
market sector apart from the overall
leisure sector. The CAN selling
points will be the pillars of attraction
to all the market segments.”
He also explained that for the
leisur