KUCHING: A total of 500 delegates are expected for the Travel Agent Federation of India (TAFI) Convention at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching from Sept 20-23.
Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said this would be the first time the convention is held here.
“The convention is a golden opportunity for us to ramp up Sarawak’s visibility in India and also to showcase to our Indian travel agent partners why Sarawak should be their next destination of choice when it comes to tourism and business events,” he said on Friday (Aug 26).
“The convention is also a culmination of the efforts in promoting Sarawak in India for the past two years.
“Focusing on building a more resilient tourism industry and responsible tourism post-pandemic, the convention is incorporating the ‘Build Back Better’ theme to promote sustainable and responsible tourism practices, conservation, and advanced greening efforts.
“This is very much in line with Sarawak’s Post Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030 to build a better tourism ecosystem that will serve the needs of visitors, local hosts and the state as a whole in a sustainable manner.”
Abdul Karim added that the convention would feature several speakers, including industry players, state government representatives as well as tourism industry leaders.
“I hope that the dialogues and discussions will drive more future collaborations between Sarawak and India in efforts to boost our respective tourism industries.”
He said more promotional initiatives were being planned and would be executed in the future. “A notable one is the TM Chennai ‘Flavours of Malaysia’ Food Festival in September, where Sarawakian delicacies will be the highlight.”
