KUCHING, 23 June 2023: The PATA Destination Experience Forum and Mart 2023 kicked off in Kuching Wednesday with a Welcome Dinner hosted by Deputy Minister for Tourism Sarawak YB Datuk Sebastian Ting Chiew Yew.
The three-day event culminates with a visit to the Rainforest World Music Festival on Friday evening, with delegates joining the opening night of the annual music festival against the backdrop of a beach and rainforest cliffs.
Following almost a three-year disruption of the state’s tourism during the Covid pandemic, the Sarawak Government created two resilient tourism industry development plans to kickstart recovery; The Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 and the Sarawak Tourism Master Plan 2035.
Elements of Sarawak’s two strategy plans were mentioned during the PATA forum and mart sessions for their strong content that supports environmental sustainability.
“The PATA forum is more important than ever as it stems from the desire to boost destinations through marketing and managing responsible tourism growth while recognising Sarawak as a leading tourism destination in ASEAN,” the deputy minister commented during the welcome dinner event.
The 272 Delegates from 28 destinations attending the forum and mart shared insights and knowledge while enjoying an opportunity to explore Sarawak’s natural landscapes and cultural treasures.
Thought leaders presented their narratives on Climate Action Strategies, Market Trends & Insights and other critical topics that will shape the future of the tourism industry in the Asia-Pacific during the forum.
In addition, participants at the three-day event joined travel mart sessions for networking and business discussions to strengthen strategic relations within the PATA community to ensure the tourism industry embraces the challenges and opportunities to achieve sustainable tourism growth across the Asia-Pacific.
