We congratulated our Sarawak Tourist Guides Association (SKTGA) for organising the forthcoming inaugural ASEAN Tourist Guides Conference which will be held at Imperial Hotel in Kuching from October 24–26, 2024.
The theme for the conference is “Togetherness in Tour Guiding Excellence” and it also aims to foster collaboration to enhance travel experiences and strengthen the future of the tour guide community across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
I gave the thumbs up to the organisers who are targeting 400 delegates and had anticipated a total economic impact of RM3.3 million from the 3-day conference. The conference is supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak (MTCP), the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia (MoTAC), Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak), the Malaysian Tourist Guide Council, the Sarawak Tourism Board (STB), and the Sarawak Tourism Federation (STF).
A primary focus of the conference will be exploring how tour guides can adapt and thrive in the digital era, positively impacting the regional tour guiding scene. The event also supports the Sarawak government’s tourism goals as outlined in the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy.
I was invited by the organisers to the press conference and had mentioned to our media friends on the importance of tourism which is part of the services industry and had accounted for 37% of Sarawak’s gross domestic product in 2023.
We collected RM9.99 billion in tourism receipts in 2023, which was a growth of 101.41%. Despite excellent statistics, we must prioritise the protection and promotion of tour guides, and educate the invaluable contributions and unique experiences they offer.
I have also mentioned that the pressing challenge for the tour-guiding sector is the availability of online travel services, which allow travelers to organize trips independently, often bypassing traditional tour guides due to more cost-effective options available on the internet.
Hosting the 1st ASEAN Tourist Guides Conference will generate opportunities and making a positive impacts on our community that is trying to sustain the industry and promote its expertise for a transformation in Sarawak’s tourism landscape.
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