DUBAI, 5 January 2022: Sarawak Tourism Board will intensify activities to create awareness about Sarawak in the Middle East this year after receiving an encouraging response to the state’s tourism presentation held at the Malaysian Pavilion during Dubai Expo 2020.

STB’s marketing director Mary Wan Mering said that throughout the promotional period, the STB booth had received requests for Sarawak to be included in their tour packages from potential buyers and industry players in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), namely Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.

“Over the past one week, many have expressed their interest in Sarawak’s Adventure and Nature-based packages as they have shown great keenness for Sarawak’s lush rainforests and its abundance in national parks such as the UNESCO World Heritage Site Mulu National Park, home to the magnificent Pinnacles and the world’s largest cave chamber”, she noted.

“I am happy to know that most travel agents from our B2B sessions are already aware of Malaysia. Therefore it is a great opportunity to promote Sarawak as a must-visit destination in the country alongside Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Sabah”.

STB’s participation at WEEK 13 (Ecotourism Week) of EXPO 2020 Dubai from 26 December 2021 to 1 January 2022 at the Malaysian Pavilion in Dubai, UAE, tapped the Middle East market, including a large population of expatriates who live in the UAE, many from Europe, America, and other Asian countries. The Ecotourism Week at the Malaysia Pavilion showcase was launched by the Malaysian Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Dato’ Sri Nancy Hj. Shukri 29 December 2021.

Showcasing the CANFF (Culture, Adventure, Nature, Food and Festival) of Sarawak with Responsible Tourism (RT) and sustainability in focus, the main event was the Beauty of Sarawak talk show hosted by Borneo Talk featuring STB’s Marketing Director Mary Wan Mering during Sarawak’s State Tourism Campaign Day on 30 December 2021 at the Amphitheater, Malaysia Pavilion.

The celebration of all things Sarawak continues at the Malaysia Day ceremony, happening on 9 January 2022 at the EXPO. Miss Universe Malaysia, Sarawak’s very own Francisca Luhong James, is expected to make an appearance at the ceremony where she will attend an official dinner and the Malaysia Truly Asia concert.

Meanwhile, an envoy from the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak, led by its Minister Dato Sri Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, will visit EXPO  2020 Dubai on 6 January 2022 to 10 January 2022 to further strengthen Sarawak’s presence among Malaysia’s participation at the EXPO.

Dubai Expo 2020, the first to be held in the Middle East region and the third-largest global event in terms of economic and cultural impact after the Olympics and the World Cup, is held from 1 October 2021 until 31 March 2022 with 192 participating countries, attracting some 25 million visitors. Originally scheduled in 2020 but postponed due to the pandemic, the organisers maintained the name ‘EXPO 2020 Dubai’ for marketing and branding purposes.

With the theme “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”, the expo is divided into three compelling districts – Mobility, Opportunity and Sustainability – that presents the diversity of culture, art, entertainment of different nations in the world in a futuristic approach.

For more information about Sarawak, log on to Sarawak Tourism Board’s website: https://sarawaktourism.com.

(Your Stories: Sarawak Tourism Board)