KUCHING, 18 November 2024: “AI may not take our jobs, but those who know how to use AI will”, said PATA Director of Sustainability & Research, Pavnesh Kumar, at the recent event “AI-Driven Transformation: Empowering Sarawak’s Tourism SMEs.” 

He stressed the need for tourism businesses to embrace AI and said that PATA was in a strong position to navigate the journey.

UpThink CEO Matt Gibson led the sessions of an event co-organised by the Sarawak Tourism Board and the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA).

Through UpThink, an international consultancy specialising in AI and WordPress solutions for the travel industry, the AI capability training programme provided local tourism businesses with practical skill sets and knowledge to thrive in the digital age as part of a broader programme to support SMEs in tourism.

Over four days, participants explored powerful AI tools, discussed ethical considerations, and worked hands-on with projects to integrate AI into daily operations.

The event was hosted by Sarawak Travel, Malaysia, Borneo, and Sarawak Tourism Board.
Learn more about the training: https://www.pata.org/blog/pata-concludes-ai-training-for-tourism-smes-in-kuching-sarawak. 

Last May, PATA and the Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance sustainability in Sarawak’s tourism industry. 

The first initiative from this collaboration was the Tourism Destination Resilience (TDR) Programme in Kuching, Malaysia, held from 20 to 24 May. The four-day training programme focused on improving participants’ risk assessment and management skills, adaptive capacity, and finance and digital skills.

Following the success of the TDR programme and participants’ enthusiasm for further hands-on training, PATA and STB introduced a new programme tailored specifically for Sarawak’s local SMEs, with an emphasis on digital skills, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI). 

The event, held at the Theatre Hotel in Kuching, was designed to equip local tourism businesses with practical AI skills and to navigate the evolving digital landscape.

Sarawak Tourism Board CEO Sharzede Datu Haji Salleh Askor welcomed participants to the workshops, saying STB recognised the “vital role of collaboration among Sarawak’s stakeholders in advancing the industry towards a more sustainable, resilient, and innovative future and underscored the value of hands-on workshops like this one in achieving that vision.”

Sixty-three participants attended the training, primarily from the accommodation sector and tour operators/travel agencies in Kuching. The training received an overwhelmingly positive response, with 98% of participants reporting that the workshop met their expectations and 93% affirming they plan to apply the AI concepts learned in their businesses. 

Participants particularly appreciated the topics covered in the training, as noted by 80% of respondents, as well as the group activities and exercises, the materials and resources provided, and the networking opportunities. The most preferred topic was AI for visual content generation, which received 55% of the votes, placing it first.