Gawai Fest to be included in Sarawak tourism calendar

By Magdalene Rogers

KUCHING - Sarawak's ethnic harvest festival, or the Gawai Dayak, would be included in the state's tourism calendar which would be implemented in series.

The 'Gawai Series Project' started with the Bidayuh community and if the pilot project is a success, the project would be promoted as a tourism event to attract foreign tourists, especially those from Europe to Sarawak, said Assistant Minister of Urban Development Datuk Alfred Yap.

"In the past, foreign tourists who visited Sarawak seldom had the opportunity to witness an actual traditional ritual of the various races, especially the rituals of the ethnic groups," he added.

The ministry had embarked on the Gawai Series 2005 pilot project for the Bidayuh, Iban and Melanau communities, which was also a part of this year's World Harvest Festival held in May.

Yap said the Bidayuh Gawai was chosen as the pilot project and is coordinated at designated locations in Bau district, based on the criteria that the particular village is still practising traditional Bidayuh rituals and customs.

Under the project, the ministry planned to have a Gawai celebration each month throughout the year, with the Iban Gawai to be held in Sibu later this year.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin