| STB: 15 pct more tourists this year STB: 15 pct more tourists this year We hope to achieve target with comprehensive promotions: Manager KUCHING: Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) aims to increase tourist arrivals into the State by 15 per cent this year. Its marketing manager Mary Wan Mering said the projection for this year was calculated based on year 2006 total tourist arrivals of three million people. “Fifteen per cent based on three million in 2006 is a lot of tourists and we are working to reach that target through various promotional methods,” said Mary. She said among the methods were the introduction of a new market segment, which is the student and education market, and enhancing the ‘silver hair’ market. “The student and education market includes students who come into the State during their holidays and those who come here from overseas to study. The opening of many international universities or institutions of higher learning has contributed to overseas students coming into the country or State,” said Mary. “The ‘silver hair’ market is aimed at getting retirees to come into the State to buy or rent property, to stay here for maybe six months under the Sarawak as ‘my second home’ programme. The programme is under the Ministry of Urban Development and Tourism,” she explained. According to her, the opening of new hotels and shopping malls are good attractions for tourists, not only foreigners but also outstation tourists, to come here for a holiday and to shop. “The opening of many hotels and shopping malls like The Spring and Boulevard has helped to get outstation tourists from Sibu, Miri, Sabah and even Brunei into the State,” she said. She added that other attractions planned for this year were the Jazz Festival to be held in Miri on May 9 to 10 and the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) at Sarawak Cultural Village on July 11-13. “This year, we hope to target 25,000 visitors to RWMF as compared to last year’s 21,000. The price of the ticket is RM200 per person for three nights while loose tickets are priced at RM90 per night per person.” She added that the higher figure was possible this year thanks to the opening of another hotel near the venue of the festival — the Damai Puri Resort & Spa. She also hoped that the 4X4 Wheel Drive World Tour Circuit would also include Sarawak and not just West Malaysia. Published by,
The Borneo Post
16 January 2008 | 
