Recently I have commended the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Sarawak (MOTAC) for doing well in 2020. This include in formulating new policies and holding good governance that had provided some respite for our local tourism industry admist the COVID19 pandemic.
It is important for the ministry to be always proactive in assisting in facilitating the recovery of our local industry by involving all agencies under its wing which include Sarawak Tourism Board (STB), Sarawak Convention Bureau (SCB), Sarawak Museum Department, Sarawak Arts Council (MSS) and Sarawak Crafts Council (SCC). I congratulated them for undertaking several initiatives that encourage domestic tourism which included the launch of the ‘Sia Sitok’ campaign in July this year.
On the same note, the pandemic had forced us to be resilent even though it had brought a negative impact to the industry as seen in the declining number of tourist arrivals. The number of tourists in Sarawak between January and November this year was only around 20,000, versus around 400,000 in the same period last year and this is dramatic drop of 71.56 per cent. Of course the very big drop is badly affecting the industry and industry players but we are very hopeful for next year in which Malaysia would be able to obtain the COVID19 vaccine to revitalise the tourism industry. Under the 11th Malaysian Plan, (11MP) Sarawak would be on the receiving end of more tourism products through completed and planned projects, he added. Among them would be the much awaited Borneo Cultural Museum, Wind Caves and Fairy Caves, Bakam Point, Wireless Walk, Dalat Waterfront, Wallace Centre, and the restoration of the various forts such as Fort Emma, Fort Lily, Fort Brooke, Fort Alice and Fort Hose. We are also excited with having the Sarawak Arts Council which would be operating as a statutory body effective this January 1 next year.
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