Sarawak to be promoted as a unique tourist spot

Sarawak Published 2 years ago on 19 June 2021 | Author TIN Media
SARAWAK:

 

When travel restrictions are lifted, SARAWAK will be promoted as one of the country's best-kept secrets and underexplored segments, offering a unique experience for both new and familiar arrivals.

Uzaidi Udanis, Tourism Productivity Nexus (TPN) champion, stated that the current lack of business due to movement restrictions should be viewed as an opportunity for all players to improve their products and services.

“Sarawak is our best-kept secret, and we want to aggressively promote it because it is unique and diverse.”

“Right now, the undiscovered tourism segment in our country is traditional and rural environments offered by homestays, kampungstays, and other similar establishments,” he said during the Malaysia Tourism Excellence (Matex) business certification program category for a homestay, kampung-stay owners and operators in Sarawak.

Any homestay owners and operators, he said, should continue to use this opportunity to develop their services and make them ready in the event of a reopening shortly. “The more participants we have, the easier it will be to revive the economy,” he added, adding that if players quit the industry, it will take longer to recover.

The Matex certification was presented to 15 homestay operators in Sarawak, covering Santubong, Kuching, and Bario Highlands, Miri, in a virtual ceremony held yesterday.

The homestays will provide a complete experience of traveling in Sarawak without the comfort of highways or accessible routes, as they are located in remote locations of East Malaysia.

According to Malaysia Productivity Corp (MPC) DG Datuk Abdul Latif Abu Seman, a conference for all players to join together to address accessibility concerns will be held to ensure seamless transit for any tourists visiting the state.

“We'll look at the value chain, obtain the right guidance, and communicate, so we'll work through the proper network."

“We have to make arrangements in terms of transportation and lodging, as well as what we can do in the destination to occupy the tourists' time,” he said.

He went on to say that the state is difficult by nature and that things must be well-organized and concise so that tourists are not inconvenienced.

“However, the adventure is in visiting the rural people and dropping by local marketplaces, where you can see things you couldn't see anywhere else.

He remarked, "I'm confident we can look into the value chain to support particular areas."

Each recipient received two certificates: the Matex Certificate of Excellence and the MPC and TPC Certificate of Compliance for Covid-19 preventive efforts.