Sarawak’s Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture To Restart Domestic Tourism With Attractive Incentives

By Anthony Tan

VIRGIN Communications

email: anthonykhtan@yahoo.co.uk

Director Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia (MOTAC) Suriya Charles Buas, Chief Operationg Officer for BeSarawak (Sarawak Convention Bureau) Amelia Roziman (2nd left), Permanent Secretary Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Sarawak, Hii Chang Kee(3rd left), Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Sarawak, YB Datuk Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah (middle), Assistant Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture Sarawak, YB Datuk Sebastian Ting Chiew Yew, (3rd right) Chief Executive Officer of Sarawak Tourism Board, Sharzede Datu Haji Salleh Askor (2nd right) and Tourism Malaysia Sarawak Director, Baharuddin Sulaiman (Right)

The Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Sarawak, YB Datuk Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah launched two initiatives for all Sarawak’s travel agents and tour operators to help restart the tourism industry which had been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The two initiatives launched were, the Visitors Incentive Package (VIP) and the Sarawak Tourism Online Ecosystem Fund.

For the VIP package, Sarawak Travel Agencies will receive support for tour packages sold for a minimum of 4 pax and a maximum of 15 pax at any one time, excluding children below 2 years old. The incentives have been categorised as follows:-

1. 3D/ 2N package – for tourists who travel in a minimum package of four (4) and maximum package of fifteen (15). Under this category, the agent will receive RM30 for each tourist, for the first four tourists and an additional RM20 for each subsequent tourist up to 15 pax.

2. 4D/ 3N package – for tourists who travel in a minimum package of four (4) and maximum package of fifteen (15). Under this category, the agent will receive RM40 for each tourist, for the first four tourists and an additional RM25 for each subsequent tourist up to 15 pax.

3. 5D/ 4N package – for tourists who travel in a minimum package of four (4) and maximum package of fifteen (15). Under this category, the agent will receive RM50 for each tourist, for the first four tourists and an additional RM30 for each subsequent tourist up to 15 pax'

The second incentive launched was the Sarawak Tourism Online Ecosystem Fund which is an initiative programme to enlarge Sarawak Tourism’s Digital coverage and Share of Voice (SOV) in collaboration with the tourism industry partners.

For this incentive, Sarawak Tourism Board will allocate funding grant up to RM5,000 per tour operator for website development and maintenance, content production and digital advertising which focuses on Sarawak Tourism.  

To promote these new initiatives and to let the industry players to get a clearer understanding, a  digital roadshow programme will be conducted in Kuching, Sibu, Bintulu, Miri, Bakalalan and Bario. 

YB Datuk Karim said, "The Government acknowledges the impact of the pandemic on tourism players and these initiatives have been crafted to provide support, push and accelerate the recovery of the tourism sector as well as to enhance industry confidence and encourage marketing and promotions of their products and services. It also aims to boost and motivate tourism partners to facilitate tourism activities and arrivals during this recovery phase. 

The Sarawak Tourism Online Ecosystem Fund seeks to align all industry players, with its key objective being the enhancement of digital economy within the Tourism Sector. It also aims at supporting and enhancing the use of e-commerce to drive more traffic within the ecosystem”.

This special launch event “Sesi Dialog Sektor Pelancongan Pasca Covid19 Bersama Menteri Pelancongan, Kesenian dan Kebudayaan Sarawak and Sarawak Reopens For Tourism” was held at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching. Among those attended were over 100 tourism industry partners including Sarawak Tourism Federation, Association for Sarawak Inbound Agents, Malaysian Association of Hotels (Sarawak Chapter), Sarawak Tourism Board and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Sarawak.

All Sarawak tour operators are invited to apply for the incentives which will be made available from 1st July 2020 to 31st December 2020, in accordance to the criteria listed on a first come first serve basis. To find out more, please contact Sarawak Tourism Board at 082 423600 or stb@sarawaktourism.com