Thursday, February 22, 2007

Sarawak to lure Chinese, Arab tourists

KUCHING - Sarawak, which has projected four million visitor arrivals this year, plans to lure more tourists from China and the Middle East, State Assistant Tourism Minister Hamden Ahmad said yesterday.

He said the government's tourism agencies and local industry players are now intensifying their promotion campaigns to attract Chineses and Arabs with the help of the federal Tourism Ministry during the ongoing "Visit Malaysia Year".

"China and the Middle East has been chosen based on their population volume and their similarities, including food and culture, thus making them feel at home," he told reporters after a joint live radio talk show "Destinasi" over Radio Television Malaysia's (RTM) Sarawak FM and Terengganu FM at RTM.

The weekly programme, conducted in collaboration with other RTM radio stations nationwide, is aimed at promoting Sarawak as a popular tourist destination.

He also said local tourist operators, such as hoteliers, should give equal service and attention to foreign and domestic visitors to the state, which anticipates a revenue of over RM5 billion from four million visitors this year.

Last year, Sarawak recorded three million visitors, mostly from Western Europe and the Asean region, generating a revenue totalling RM5 billion.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

No comments: