2020 is an encouraging year for Sarawak Tourism Board as we wet the Visit Sarawak Campaign Phase Two into action. We are satisfied with the positive growth of visitors to Sarawak last year, receiving 231,498 more visitor arrivals compared to 2018 (2018: 4,430,921 & 2019: 4,662,419) – a growth rate of +5.22%.
As part of this, we achieved a significant rise in visitor arrivals from the domestic market, with a growth rate of +11.3%. The Sarawak Tourism Board is working on improving our existing strategies and plans. Having set the target of five million visitor arrivals to Sarawak, we are confident that with the intensive marketing and promotional campaigns of Sarawak Tourism Board in domestic markets and the ASEAN region, this should be achievable. We are working on building collaboration with airlines, enhancing our digital platforms, and continuing aggressive promotion and marketing campaigns in all our focus markets.
WE ARE SATISFIED WITH THE POSITIVE GROWTH OF VISITORS TO SARAWAK LAST YEAR, RECEIVING 231,498 MORE VISITOR ARRIVALS COMPARED TO 2018
We are also seeking to grow the long-haul market in addition to the ASEAN market and “border” tourism. As we know, visitors from Europe, the USA, and more locally, Australasia, love our adventure offering, our nature and culture, trying the exotic food and having fun at our festivals. One of the key ways we’re developing the long-haul market is through a strong presence at major trade shows around the world, as well as through online and print advertising.
Key issues and challenges for us moving forward are primarily based on connectivity. We are working hard to bring together all industry players, from Government, private and public sectors. Moving into this new decade, Sarawak will, I am sure, see a major transformation in terms of air connectivity, and to this end, we aim to encourage more direct flight to Sarawak, especially to the central regions Sibu, Bintulu and northern region, Miri. The development of Sarawak’s road networks will also be an essential factor in the development of tourism.
Digital marketing is also becoming increasingly important. We are collaborating with industry
players to get more involvement in digital marketing, need to identify the local operators, industry players that are willing to increase Digital marketing, hence, moving to digital footprint. Moreover the Sarawak Government also has a budget for digital marketing.
Our main pillars of Sarawak as a tourist destination? “CANFF”: Culture, Adventure, Nature, Food and Festival are the main pillars. All these things combined make Sarawak a destination that is highly unique and can, in themselves, help travel professionals create an unforgettable itinerary for their clients.
Source: https://itb-berlin-news.com/2020/03/04/vision/