KUCHING: Over 1,000 delegates from around the globe are expected at a welcoming dinner of the World Tourism Conference (WTC) 2019 hosted by Sarawak Tourism Board (STB).
The dinner which will be held at Majestic Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, tonight will showcase key elements of Sarawak – Culture, Adventure, Nature, Food and Festivals (CANFF).
STB has set its sights on enhancing Sarawak’s visibility as a destination that offers a multitude of experiences, with much more to discover.
The dinner will be graced by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg, federal Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi, state Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, STB chairman Datuk Abdul Wahab Aziz, STB chief executive officer (CEO) Sharzede Salleh Askor, and World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) executive director Zhu Shanzhong.
WTC 2019 begins today (August 26) and will close tomorrow (August 27) at Shangri-La Hotel, Kuala
Lumpur.
The delegates include world leaders in tourism, high-level policy-makers, specialists and experts from the public and private sectors, academicians and media representatives.
The key topics to be discussed include ‘Future of Tourism – New Sources of Growth’, ‘Smart Tourism – Great Expectations’, ‘Sharing Economy – A new Reality’ and ‘Unique Tourism – Success Stories’.
As part of the Visit Sarawak 2019 and 2020 initiative, this ‘Land of the Hornbills’ recently launched the ‘Sarawak, More to Discover’ campaign to give it greater brand visibility, communicate important messages on Sarawak’s offerings as well as showcase the state’s iconic visuals.
This fifth edition of WTC looks at further enhancing sustainability of the tourism business, widening its horizons, and consolidating various sectors including health, education, transportation and entertainment into the spectrum.
“The increasing demand of travellers and rapidly shifting tourism landscape require its players to embrace these changing dynamics.
“This is the core of ‘beyond tourism’ – the combination of various promotional platforms including digital and social media, converging tourism with various sectors,” said Sharzede.
“Through the exchange of ideas and discussions at WTC, we hope to be able to further uncover
possibilities beyond conventional perspectives that lie within inter-connected tourism boundaries.
“Sarawak has many hidden gems that are waiting to be discovered and it is crucial to share our stories with the world, especially on platforms such as WTC.”
She further added that the approach to tourism should be to provide a life-enhancing experience known as ‘Experiential Tourism’. The better the experience, the better a destination stands out from others.
STB also strongly advocates ‘Responsible Tourism’, and has taken various steps to educate Sarawak’s tourism players that attention should be given to protecting and enhancing environmental and social sustainability within the entire
tourism ecosystem, and not simply within individual businesses.
Sarawak clearly identifies with music, arising from the wide range of sounds and traditional
instruments of its diverse ethnic groups and cultures.
Music Tourism is another key area for Sarawak, which strongly pushes forward music festivals and fringe music events in Sarawak, platforms for locals to showcase their talents, creating socio-economic impact for the community.
WTC is organised by UNWTO together with the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry of Malaysia. UNWTO is the United Nations specialized agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.
