Borneo Post Online today reported Assistant Minister of Tourism Lee Kim Shin as saying it was better to concentrate efforts to attract several markets rather than being all over the place.
“This year, our main focus will be China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore, but we will also be looking at our domestic market, particularly (arrivals) from Peninsular Malaysia,” said Lee at a press conference after a meeting with Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) senior officers in Kuching yesterday.
He was also reported as saying that since May 28, the number of inbound tourists arriving from the twice-weekly Hong Kong-Kuching route “was very encouraging”, being at 1,156 so far.
Lee said 92 per cent of tourists browsed the Internet to obtain information on destinations they would like to go to and hence, the state tourism players would need to change their marketing strategy accordingly.
“We are working on a new strategy and direction as we cannot continue with the conventional ways. We are also working on new marketing initiatives,” he said of the state’s efforts to tap the huge China market.
He said among other methods that the state tourism players should undertake was to collaborate with big tour operators in China.
This is especially so as Sarawak has plenty of tourist attractions, including the Sarawak Cultural Village and various national parks, World Rainforest Music Festival and Borneo Jazz Festival.
“The Chinese nationals even go for deep sea fishing in Miri,” the Post quoted him as saying.
Beijing-based television station CCTV4 was now in Sarawak to document its culture and tradition, and once completed, the documentaries were expected to attract some 200 million viewers, added Lee.
On a separate matter, Lee said Sarawak’s policy to deny entry to those deemed as extremists and religious bigots proved a good way to allay the fear of IS threats.
However, he said, the relevant authorities still needed to step up security measures. “They must obtain early information on tourists and step up preventive measures,” he said.