KUCHING, 16 January 2026: The Tribe Legacy Sarawak Campaign has delivered its strongest impact to date, driving record growth in Sarawak’s business events sector and firmly positioning the state as Malaysia and Borneo’s Legacy Capital of Business Events.
Supported by strong collaboration across government, industry, academia, communities, and global partners, the campaign has transformed how Sarawak delivers business events, shifting the focus from short-term tourism to long-term economic, social, and environmental impact. This momentum led Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak) to its strongest performance to date in 2025, as the organisation approaches its 20th anniversary.
Delivering real economic results
In FY2025, Sarawak secured 160 business events, achieving 115% of its annual target. These secured events, scheduled between 2025 and 2030, are projected to generate a total economic impact of MYR483.5 million.
Projected direct delegate expenditure is MYR262.8 million, generating MYR29 million in tax revenue over 177,453 delegate days. Sarawak also maintained a 100% bid success rate from 2022, demonstrating sustained international confidence in Sarawak’s destination leadership and ecosystem readiness.
Major secured events include the Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Conference 2025, the Asian Congress on Occupational Health 2026, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) Triennial General Assembly 2026, and the International Council on Archives (ICA) Conference 2027.
On the hosting front, Sarawak successfully delivered 159 business events in 2025, a 27% increase compared to the previous year. The events generated a total economic impact of MYR491.4 million, including MYR267 million in direct delegate expenditure. These events attracted 59,926 delegates, contributed MYR29.5 million in tax revenue, and supported more than 38,000 jobs across the state.
Changing global perceptions
“I am very proud to announce that 2025 represented the best performance in Sarawak’s business events history,” said the Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Sarawak, the Honourable Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, during the Board of Directors Appreciation Dinner.
“We have reshaped how the world looks at Sarawak, from a once-overlooked destination into the legacy capital of business events in Malaysia and Borneo. It is a powerful journey of vision, perseverance, and partnership, and one that we proudly celebrate as we mark our 20th anniversary this year. This is not the achievement of one organisation, but the result of a united ecosystem working with shared purpose.”
The Minister further emphasised that the period from 2026 to 2030 constitutes the final phase of the Post-COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030, guided by Sarawak’s 13th Malaysia Plan.
“Our next phase must ensure that business events continue to deliver meaningful contributions to our economy, society and environment. Tribe Legacy Sarawak provides the platform to mobilise talent, partnerships and innovation at scale.”
Building a measurable legacy ecosystem
As part of the Tribe Legacy Sarawak Campaign, Sarawak has embedded impact measurement and legacy design into its business events strategy. Of 166 legacy-focused events secured in 2025, 60 have been selected for a pilot measurement programme; 10 have already been validated, and the remaining 50 are currently being assessed to evaluate economic, social, and community outcomes.
Under the legacy initiative, 13 high-value national and international events have been mobilised across strategic sectors, including hydrogen and carbon markets, the digital economy, healthcare, literacy, and aerospace, directly supporting Sarawak’s PCDS 2030 priorities.
“The last five years focused on building the legacy ecosystem and developing the Legacy Impact Master Action Plan,” said BESarawak Chairman Datu Hii Chang Kee. “Our next phase will deepen data intelligence, digitalisation, partnerships and talent development — ensuring Sarawak remains globally competitive while delivering sustainable value for our people.”
Global leadership
Through the campaign, Sarawak has set international benchmarks with pioneering platforms including LEGACY360 Education, the Legacy Event Advocacy Policy (LEAP) Summit, the Borneo Inspires Legacy Awards, and the Sarawak Business Events Forum — creating integrated ecosystems for advocacy, education and recognition.
Sarawak also became the first government to adopt the Borneo Legacy Declaration, with the Business Events Sarawak Alliance serving as its first implementation milestone across ministries and agencies.
“We are incredibly proud of how Tribe Legacy Sarawak Campaign has mobilised the entire ecosystem,” said BESarawak CEO Amelia Roziman. “This campaign proves that when government, industry and communities align around shared purpose, business events become powerful platforms for national transformation and global contribution.”
Sarawak’s leadership has been recognised internationally through the ICCA Award of Appreciation, the Iceberg Excellence Award, and Amelia’s appointment as the first Asian Trustee on the Iceberg Board of Trustees.
Looking Ahead: 2026–2030
As BESarawak marks its 20th anniversary in 2026, the Tribe Legacy Sarawak campaign will focus on accelerating data intelligence, digital platforms, leadership capabilities, and cross-sector partnerships to ensure sustained growth aligned with PCDS 2030, the 13th Malaysia Plan, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The campaign reinforces Sarawak’s ambition not only to host world-class events but also to build a destination and sector driven by a higher purpose, creating enduring legacies that will benefit generations to come.
For more information, visit: Business Events Sarawak.
(Source: BESarawak)
