TEBEDU: The Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts is thinking about including the Silabur Ultra Trail Challenge as an annual event under Sarawak’s 2024 Calendar of Events (COE).
Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said his ministry would also fully support the event.
Expressing excitement over next year’s event, which will feature a new 100 kilometre trail he noted that the success of the Silabur Ultra Trail 2023 is testament to the collaboration between the government and the private sector.
In another development Karim pointed out that the state government was targetting three million visitors this year.
“Our focus markets are the Europe, Middle East, Oceania, North Asia, Asean and domestic markets.
“The Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) has come up with five marketing strategies to achieve this goal, including increasing market share and online web distribution.
“With all the marketing strategies, I believe our goal to attract three million tourists can be achieved with the collaboration of different parties,” he said.
He said this in a speech delivered by Tebedu assemblyman Dr. Simon Sinang Bada, who represented him to officiate at the event on Sunday (March 19).
Dr Simon, when met afterwards, lauded the event, saying it was a huge success.
He said Mount Silabur, where the event took place, is an iconic tourist spot and a symbol of Tebedu’s rich culture and natural beauty.
As such, he expressed his desire to adopt Mount Silabur as an important tourism product for Tebedu.
“We aim to promote the Silabur Ultra Trail as a prominent tourism product in our country, particularly in Serian.
“While we have several tourism products available, our primary focus is on promoting our unique culture.
“In Sarawak, we are blessed with a diverse range of adventurous activities that allow visitors to connect with nature.
“The Silabur Ultra Trail event aligns perfectly with our goal of showcasing the natural beauty of our region,” he said.
He hoped the success of the event will encourage more participants to take part in future events.
Also present during the ceremony were ministry representative Cecelia Senja, Serian Resident Selamat Jati Yanjah and Alpha Sports Event Director Josh Tan.
The Silabur Ultra Trail 2023 was organised by Alpha Sports Event in collaboration with the ministry, Serian Resident’s Office and the Tebedu District Office.
It attracted 554 participants from 11 countries such as France, England, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong and the United States .
The event featured four different trails, ranging from 8km to 60km.
