KUCHING, Sarawak, 10 February 2026: As Malaysia intensifies its global push to support Visit Malaysia Year 2026 (VMY2026) with a national target of 43 million visitor arrivals, Sarawak has presented its destination narrative directly to the Oceania market, engaging the travel trade across six major cities in Australia and New Zealand through the Total Holiday Options (THO) Mega Roadshow 2026.
The trade-only B2B roadshow, held from 27 January to 5 February, spanned six cities in the Oceania market, namely Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, placing Sarawak face-to-face with key decision-makers responsible for designing and selling long-haul itineraries.
Such engagements are critical in markets like Australia and New Zealand, where travel planning is powerfully shaped by travel agency knowledge, product confidence and long-standing trade relationships.
Australia and New Zealand continue to show steady potential for Sarawak, with the Oceania market recording a 9.3% increase in visitor arrivals from pre-pandemic levels to the end of 2025.
While growth remains incremental, Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) emphasises sustained, targeted trade engagement to drive stronger medium- to long-term performance through improved itinerary design and product diversification. Australia ranked among Sarawak’s Top 10 source markets in 2025, reinforcing the strategic importance of the Oceania market.
“For long-haul markets such as Australia and New Zealand, destination awareness alone is not enough. Confidence drives conversion, and confidence comes from direct engagement with the trade,” said Dr Sharzede Datu Haji Salleh Askor, Chief Executive Officer of Sarawak
Tourism Board. “Our presence at the THO Mega Roadshow reflects Sarawak’s commitment to showing up, telling our story accurately, and positioning Sarawak as a destination that delivers meaningful, well-curated and responsible travel experiences in line with Visit Malaysia Year 2026.”
Through the THO Mega Roadshow, Sarawak positioned itself as a compelling addition to multi-city and twin-city itineraries, connecting seamlessly with regional gateways such as Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bandar Seri Begawan and Jakarta.
This approach supports longer stays, deeper exploration and higher yield, aligning with Malaysia’s broader VMY2026 objectives.
The roadshow also serves as a platform for Sarawak to leverage VMY2026 through collaborative opportunities with airlines, tourism stakeholders, and trade partners, while strengthening coordination by meeting with the Tourism Malaysia Office in Sydney and the High Commission of Malaysia in Wellington, New Zealand. These engagements translated into sustained conversion initiatives, including trade campaigns, tactical promotions, travel agent training programmes and media familiarisation activities.
Sarawak’s participation reflected a deliberate strategy to strengthen its presence in high-value, long-haul markets and ensure the destination remains visible and accurately represented in an increasingly competitive Southeast Asian travel landscape. By being on the ground, STB presented Sarawak’s tourism offerings directly, clarified the destination’s positioning, and reinforced its readiness as a long-haul destination anchored in culture, nature, and sustainability.
Sarawak’s presence at the THO Mega Roadshow 2026 underscores the state’s commitment to investing early and engaging directly with the travel trade ahead of Visit Malaysia Year 2026. By taking its story across two countries and six key trade hubs, Sarawak laid firm groundwork to convert awareness into bookings and position itself as a destination of choice for long-haul travellers seeking meaningful and well-curated experiences in Malaysia.
For more information on Sarawak, visit: Sarawak Tourism Board.
(Source: Your Stories — Sarawak Tourism Board)
