KUCHING, 29 November 2022: Last week Sarawak Tourism Board hosted the Sarawak Tourism Carnival to promote the state as a preferred destination for leisure, adventure, health and education tourism in Sarawak for the Indonesian market.
Visitors to the carnival, held from 25 to 27 November at Ayani Mall in Pontianak, could book exciting tour packages offered by participating travel agents and tour operators featuring Sarawak’s top destinations.
In her welcoming remarks read by STB Director of Marketing (ASEAN & Domestic) Barbara Benjamin Atan, STB CEO Sharzede Datu Hj Salleh Askor said that being Sarawak’s closest neighbour, both Sarawak and Pontianak has enjoyed mutual benefits from border tourism.
“Through border tourism, both sectors in each nation have helped generate employment opportunities, enhance local economies, raise the standard of living of the local communities across borders and improve investment opportunities in new businesses in the region,” she added.
The Governor of West Kalimantan, H Sutarmidji SH M Hum, visited STB’s carnival and took part in the joint celebration of the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and Indonesia at Sarawak’s booth.
Sarawak’s participating tourism partners at the carnival included the Malaysian Health Travel Council (MHTC), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), Borneo Medical Centre Kuching, Great Leap Tours Travel Sdn Bhd, Innosar Holiday Sdn Bhd, Khaimal Borneo Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd, Al Fateh Worldwide Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd, KPJ Kuching Specialist Hospital, Pullman Kuching & Pullman Miri Waterfront, Normah Medical Specialist Centre, Timberland Medical Centre, Penview Hotel Kuching and Damai Beach Resort.
Sarawak is a popular destination for health and wellness tourism supported by affordable and high-quality health services offered by 13 established private medical institutions and hospitals in Kuching, Sibu, Miri and Bintulu. Over 53,000 people visited the state in 2019 before the pandemic caused lockdowns worldwide.
Among the activities held at the carnival were a poster design competition for primary and secondary school students; and a painting demonstration by UNIMAS lecturer Sylvester Wielding Jussem.
For more information, visit www.sarawaktourism.com.
(Your Stories: Sarawak Tourism Board).
