ANNUAL REPORT
2019
Contents Introduction - Who We Are
4
Members of STB Board of Directors
7
Chairman’s Review
8
Corporate Services Division Highlights
12
Human Resource Unit
14
Marketing Division Highlights
16
Visit Sarawak Campaign
22
Communications Unit
24
Digital Marketing
28
Research
37
Events & Corporate Relations Division Highlights
38
Financial Statements
43
Award Listing
80
SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD ANNUAL REPORT
2019
INTRODUCTION Sarawak Tourism Board was incorporated under the Sarawak Tourism Board (Incorporation) Ordinance, dated 12 November 1994.
OBJECTIVES OF THE BOARD ◆◆
To achieve its objectives of increasing tourist arrivals into the state.
◆◆
To create awareness among the trade, media and public on the diversity of Sarawak in terms of tourism products, both regional and international.
◆◆
To position Sarawak as a prime destination for culture, nature and adventure tourism.
STB VISION & MISSION The STB Mission Statement is as follows:-
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◆◆
Positioning and promoting Sarawak as a safe and friendly eco-tourism destination
◆◆
Be the catalyst for tourism growth
◆◆
Providing networking and synergy among the official agencies and tourism partners
◆◆
Increasing awareness among Sarawakians on the benefits and importance of the tourism industry
◆◆
Enhancing performance through motivation and teamwork
SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD ANNUAL REPORT
2019
FUNCTIONS OF THE BOARD ӹӹ
To stimulate and promote tourism to and within Sarawak;
ӹӹ
To stimulate, promote and market Sarawak as a tourist destination;
ӹӹ
To organise, secure and enhance publicity in Malaysia and overseas on tourist attractions in Sarawak;
ӹӹ
To engage or assist in the development of tourism in the State and to carry out such activities in association with the Government, any public or local authority, any corporation, any company, any body or any person or as managing agents or otherwise on this behalf, or enter into any arrangement with such bodies or persons for sharing profits, union of interests, co-operation, joint venture or reciprocal concession;
ӹӹ
To make recommendations to the Minister on the measures and programmes to be adopted to facilitate and stimulate the development and promotion of the tourism industry in Sarawak and, where approved by the Minister, to implement or assist in the implementation of such measures and programmes; and
ӹӹ
To liaise and co-ordinate with and make representation to the Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board or the Federal Ministry of Culture, Arts and Tourism on all matters relating to the enhancement of tourism and the development of the tourism industry in Sarawak.
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SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD ANNUAL REPORT
2019
Board of Directors
STANDING FROM LEFT TO RIGHT
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
1. 2. 3. 4.
SEATED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT
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Mr. Albert Sim Yam Leong Tuan Haji Mohamad Ibrahim Nordin Mr. Bahruddin Sulaiman (representing Datuk Musa Yusof) Datuk Jason Tai Hee Mdm. Ngui Ing Ing Mdm. Dayang Azizah Bt. Abang Zaidan Mdm. Audry Wan Ullok Mr. Philip Yong
Tuan Haji Zolkipli Mohammad Aton Datu Haji Junaidi Bin Haji Reduan Mr. Hii Chang Kee YB Datuk Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah (Minister for Tourism, Art, Culture, Youth and Sports) 5. Datuk Haji Abdul Wahab Aziz (Chairman) 6. Mdm. Sharzede Datu Haji Salleh Askor
SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD ANNUAL REPORT
2019
Members of STB Board of Directors Datuk Haji Abdul Wahab Aziz Chairman – STB Board of Director ADUN N.38 Kalaka Mr. Hii Chang Kee Deputy Chairman – STB Board of Director Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Amar Haji Ahmad Tarmizi bin Haji Sulaiman State Financial Secretary, State Financial Secretary’s Office Datuk Musa Yusof Director General, Tourism Malaysia Tuan Haji Zolkipli Mohammad Aton Chief Executive Officer, Sarawak Forestry Corporation Datuk Jason Tai Hee Managing Director, Pansar Company Sdn. Bhd. Mdm. Audry Wan Ullok President, Sarawak Tourism Federation Tuan Haji Ibrahim Nordin Chairman, Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH – Sarawak Chapter) Mdm. Dayang Azizah Bt. Abang Zaidan Chairman, Malaysian Association of Travel & Tour Agents, Sarawak Chapter (MATTA) Mdm. Ngui Ing Ing President, Hotel Lance Court & Hospitality Mr. Albert Sim Yam Leong Public Relation Officer, Miri Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry
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SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD ANNUAL REPORT
2019
Chairman’s Review
DATUK HAJI ABDUL WAHAB BIN AZIZ
▶ Introduction In 2019, the Sarawak Tourism Board accomplished significant achievements in its overall performance, combined with the efforts of the State Government of Sarawak, Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Sarawak, Tourism Malaysia, Immigration Department of Sarawak, MATTA (Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents), Sarawak tourism stakeholders, media and our overseas industry partners. Overall, Sarawak received 4,662,419 visitors in 2019, an increase of 5.22% compared to 2018.
▶ World Scenario Based on the data from UNWTO (World Tourism Organization), in 2019 worldwide, the international tourist arrivals (overnight visitors) grew 4% to reach 1.5 billion. UNWTO estimates that destinations worldwide received around 1.5 billion arrivals in 2019, about 54 million more than in the previous year. All regions of the world recorded an increase in arrivals. The growth of Asia and the Pacific was +5%, Europe +4%, and the Middle East +8%.
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Obstacles such as the uncertainty surrounding Brexit, geopolitical and trade tensions, and the global economic slowdown, weighed on growth.
SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD ANNUAL REPORT
2019
▶ Regional Growth 1. Europe
⇧4%
The international visitor arrivals in Europe grew 4% in 2019, which was slower compared to previous years, i.e. 6% growth in 2018 and 9% in 2017. Air bookings increased by 4%. Air passenger traffic international departures from Europe to other world regions also increased by 4% in 2019.
2. Asia-Pacific
⇧5%
2019 recorded a 5% growth of international visitor arrivals in the Asia-Pacific region, which is 5% of the world’s total arrivals. Air bookings increased by 8% and air passenger traffic increased by 5% in 2019 (Chinese outbound travel growth to many destinations had fuelled the growth). South-East Asia showed a growth rate of 8%. This was contributed by Chinese travellers, the visa facilitation and enhanced air connectivity. Malaysia continued to rebound with an increase in numbers from short- and medium-haul markets.
3. Oceania
Malaysia Scenario: Visitor Arrivals Performance In 2019, tourist arrivals in Malaysia increased by 1.0% over the same period last year and recorded positive growth in tourist expenditure of 2.4% , amounting to a total of RM86.14 billion. The highest number of visitor arrivals to Malaysia were from countries such as Indonesia, (3.62mil, +10.5%), China (3.11mil., +5.8%), India (735,309, +22.5%), South Korea (673,065, +9.1%), Saudi Arabia (121,444, +8.2%) and Australia (368,271, +4.8%). However, there was a decline in the visitor arrivals from Malaysia’s traditional markets such as Singapore (10.16 mil., -4.3%), Brunei (1.22 mil., -12.0%), Thailand (1.88 mil., -1.6%), Iran (46,559, -30.6%) and United Kingdom (346,485,-4.1%). Significant growth due to high per capita expenditure was contributed from markets such as China (RM15.33bil., +24.5%), Indonesia (RM12.94 bil., +16.9%), Philippines (RM1.38bil., +24.0%), Japan (RM2.28bil., +36.2%) and India (RM3.62bil, +30.6%).
⇧3%
The growth in Oceania was 3% with a modest performance from Australia and New Zealand, partly due to a decrease in the numner of Chinese visitors. By contrast, smaller island destinations like Guam, French Polynesia and Samoa recorded solid growth.
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SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD ANNUAL REPORT
2019
(Source: Malaysia Tourism Performance Jan-Dec2019, Strategic Planning Division, TM 2020)
The 2019 tourist arrivals in Malaysia again revealed that the country is a destination for holiday makers. The visitors’ main intention to travel to Malaysia was for holiday (67.5%), shown by a significant increase of 12.2% over 2018. The highest expenditure component was shopping (33.6%), followed by accommodation (24%). The main source of information about Sarawak is by word-of mouth (VFR 94.4%); the main activities engaged by the tourists in Malaysia were shopping (91.2%) and city tours (90.9%). The highest kind of transportation used by the visitors to reach Malaysia were land transportation (56.8%), followed by air transportation (36.8%).
Sarawak Scenario The highlights of our 2019 achievements are reflected in STB’s focus markets growth performance. The highest growth of 11.3% was achieved in our domestic market. The Visit Sarawak Campaign (VSC) and related aggressive marketing and promotions increased the visitor arrivals from our focus international markets such as Singapore (7.04% growth) and Australia (3.91%). In addition to that, the Board’s collaborative marketing initiatives such as the STB-MATTA business networking sessions, road shows, travel fairs, frequent familiarisation trips for both travel agents and media, all contributed to the increase in our visitor arrivals. In 2019, the total visitor arrivals (VA) was 4.66mil (4,662,419) with a Growth Rate (GR) of +5.22%. From this, we have received: Domestic visitors: 2.57mil
(2,579,975)
with a significant GR of +11.3%.
International visitors: 2.08mil
(2,082,444)
with a slight decline of -1.44%.
Overall, we recorded a significant achievement in 2019, from 4.43mil (2018) to 4.66mil (2019) with growth rate augmented from -8.77% (2018) to +5.22% (2019). This is a significant achievement. In 2019, we welcomed 231,498 more visitors than in 2018. 10
SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD ANNUAL REPORT
2019
In 2019, the 5 million target was our stretch target in view of VSC. However, we have achieved some milestones such as;
Overall visitor arrivals growth rate increased from negative -8.7% in 2018 to positive +5.22% in 2019
Our visibility increased in the Australian market, from 69% (2018) to 72% (2019). Consequently we recorded a significant growth of visitor (arrivals) from Australia with a-14.19% in (2018) to +3.91% in (2019)
Increased visitor arrivals from Singapore +3.7% in 2018 to +7.04% in 2019.
VSC acceptance level among our stakeholders increased from 91% in 2018 to 98.5% in 2019.
Tourism Revenue
In terms of tourism receipts, we have an increase in 2019: RM11.57 billion revenue received, and 8.72% contribution to the state GDP. In 2018 it was RM11 billion with 7.5% to the state GDP contribution.
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SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD ANNUAL REPORT
2019
Corporate Services Division Highlights In 2019, the Sarawak Tourism Board proposed an organisational restructuring. Since its inception about 25 years ago, the organisation has never been restructured. In view of its role as one of the State’s thrusts for economic growth, it is timely that the organisation should become more effective and efficient to achieve results! The organisational restructuring will meet the challenges and issues faced by the Board, such as:
▶▶ Staff productivity is stagnant.
▶▶ Morale among staff is deteriorating
▶▶ New skills and capabilities are needed to meet current operational delivery.
▶▶ Accountability and resultoriented mindset among staff are needed, measurable, and with non-biased performance appraisals.
▶▶ The Board is significantly under-staffed to meet the current demand.
▶▶ New technology and innovation are creating changes in the industry and distribution channels.
▶ Balanced Scorecard In 2019, the Board has set 15 Strategic Objectives, 22 Key Performance Indexes (KPI) and 30 Initiatives under the Balanced Scorecard initiatives. These were segregated throughout the 3 Divisions within the Board. Each Division is to ensure all their initiatives are implemented towards achieving the KPIs as set. For the overall 22 KPIs, 8 have reached the Stretch Target, 4 have reached the Target Level, 4 reached the Intervention Level, 3 have not reached the Intervention Level, and 3 were not available for measurement. Apart from the core business of the Board which is Marketing and Communications, the Balanced Scorecard has brought about new changes in the Board. These changes are internal systems and processes to increase efficiency and effectiveness, as follows;
A) Enhance Governance And Compliance
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As a State government body, STB is required to follow certain regulations and guidelines promoting good governance and compliance. STB has started the ISO Procedures documentation in September 2019, pending for certification. The ISO auditing has yet to be done, after certification. While processes are being automated, STB is also striving to enhance governance and compliance in finance and administrative through the e-CSA auditing.
SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD ANNUAL REPORT
2019
B) Continuously Enhance Internal Processes
C) Leverage On ICT
STB is continuously enhancing and improving its internal processes. By the end of 2019, STB has successfully implemented the Corporate BSC, Divisional BSC, Individual BSC, ISO documentation, KFA, 5S, e-HR, e-PAY and ESS. All 9 processes have been implemented and utilised within STB. The target was set at 7 processes. The next continuous improvement is to automate as many processes as possible, pending budget availability as it requires system and software.
It is important that all STB staffs keep abreast of ICT utilisation in their work, to be more effective and productive. A survey has been done to measure the level of our staffs’ utilisation on ICT in their work. The findings showed 64.9%, which was below the target level of 70.0%. The findings also show that staff were not attending to emails promptly, and not exposed to new and upgraded ICT programmes. To deal with this problem, STB has formed an ICT Committee that will look into the needs and requirement of STB in all aspects of ICT.
D) Instil Performance Based Culture
E) Enhance Training And Development
STB has a shared value of Excellence, Professionalism, Integrity and Caring (E.P.I.C) which are all leading towards high performance. A survey has been done among staff on how they viewed their jobs towards achieving the greatest performance. The rating was at 69.83% , which was below the set target of 80.0%. The findings show that staff were motivated by a clear career path, but that was not always made available to them. STB will try to implement a Succession Plan for every staff member in 2020.
In order to be competent and knowledgeable in their jobs, staff were given training and courses that are related to their jobs. Of all the 53 staff members, 71.7% have attended training according to the required training hours, which is below the target set at 75%. This may be due to budget constraints, or the training record for staff attending courses, briefings and workshops organised by government agencies may not be included in the data available.
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SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD ANNUAL REPORT
2019
Human Resource Unit 1) Staff Training & Development This report gives an overview of the Board’s Training and Development activities and achievements in 2019. Staff training and development are part of the Organisational Capacity in the Board’s Balanced Scorecard, where it continues to be an area of strength. In line with the State’s policy on the new training hours, these are categorised based on the staff grades as below: No.
Category (Grade)
No. of Training Hours per year
1.
Professional & Managerial Group (Grade 41 & above)
42 hours
2.
Supporting Group (Grade 27 – 40)
36 hours
3.
Supporting Group (Grade 1 – 26)
24 hours
One of the Board’s strategies is to enhance and improve the staff skills, abilities, and competencies which will lead to better job performance and career advancement. Training activities that are carried out include competency-based training, job-skilled enhancement, and talks/workshops to increase knowledge. Some of the training/workshops/seminars/ conferences attended by staff members are listed here:
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▶▶
Sarawak Industry Enhancement Workshop – Maximising Returns
▶▶
Best Practice Media and Communications Workshop
▶▶
Inbound Tourism Boot camp
▶▶
Data Driven Organisation, Online Organisation & Talent Assessment
▶▶
Seminar on ‘Rethink Possible: Capitalizing Digital Transformation’
▶▶
International PR Conference
▶▶
3rd International Digital Economy Conference, Sarawak
▶▶
The Inaugural Sustainability and Renewal Energy Forum
▶▶
Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Training
▶▶
Creating a Professional Presence in Business
▶▶
2019 Expert Workshop for ICH Video Production Project in Southeast Asia
▶▶
2019 Sarawak Investment & Business Summit
▶▶
Talk on Social Media and Tourism Marketing
▶▶
Talk on Sustainable Tourism
▶▶
Seminar Keselamatan & Kesihatan Pekerjaan Di SektorAwam
▶▶
Kursus Kepimpinan & Pengurusan Organisasi
▶▶
Taklimat Penyelarasan Rekordan Arkib Negeri
▶▶
Basic Hospitality Training for Frontliners
▶▶
Complaint Management & Customer Satisfaction
▶▶
13th Asia Pacific Orchid conference
SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD ANNUAL REPORT
2019
2) New Staff No.
Name
Reporting Date
Designation
1
Dyg. Nurfaizera Bt Awg. Ahmad
15 May 2019
Finance Officer
2
Dino Osman B. Dawi
27 May 2019
Driver
3
Amanda Ng
27 May 2019
Assistant Manager - Events
4
Nurhadiatul Sukinah Jamali
27 May 2019
Assistant Manager Communications
5
Nur Alif Bin Adzohari
1 July 2019
Manager - Digital
3) Graduates Enhancement Training Sarawak (GETS) 4.0 GETS 4.0 is the human capital development initiative by the State Government and Sarawak Centre of Performance Excellence (SCOPE) to enhance the marketability and employability of Sarawakian graduates. The Board has received 15 GETS participants for 12-month on-the-job training (OJT). They are attached to various units in the Board: No.
Name
Qualification
Date of Reporting
Attachment
1
Genevieve Gelayang
Bachelor in Marine Science
11th September 2019
Marketing
2
Lavenda Peter Jerol
Bachelor in Animal Resource Science and Management
11th September 2019
Marketing (Research)
3
Jackson Sigai Kalong
Bachelor in Business Administration (Hons)
11th September 2019
Marketing (Digital)
4
Marylin Miga
Bachelor in Animal Resource Science and Management
11th September 2019
Communications
5
Nur Affyna Mohd Atan
Bachelor in Tourism Hospitality Management
11th September 2019
Marketing (Long-Haul)
6
Nurul Syazarina Iskandar
Bachelor in Tourism Management
11th September 2019
Communications
7
Nur Diyana Razali
Bachelor in Tourism Management
15th October 2019
Events & Corp. Relations
8
Felicia Ean Edward
Bachelor in Tourism Management
15th October 2019
Events & Corp. Relations
9
Nur Tiara Mohd Firdaus
Bachelor in Tourism Management
15th October 2019
Corporate Services
10
Azreen Afendi
Bachelor in International Business
15th October 2019
Corporate Services
11
Nor Hidayu Gani
Bachelor in Tourism Planning and Hospitality Management
20th January 2020
Corporate Services
12
Nur Asmida Mohamad
Bachelor of Business Administration
20th January 2020
Corporate Services
13
Noor Fazirah Kadai
Bachelor of Relation
20th January 2020
Marketing (IT/Graphic)
14
Shirleycca Gibson Unjau
Bachelor in Tourism Management
21st January 2020
Corporate Services
15
Shirley Stacey David Atus
Bachelor of Business in International Business
21st January 2020
Corporate Services
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SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD ANNUAL REPORT
2019
Marketing Division Highlights In 2019, the Board participated in its first consumer fair in India, the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Festival (ABU). The Board also managed to organise a familiarisation trip in August 20th to 24th 2019, in collaboration with one of Kuching agents, for 10 India travel agents and 4 media from various cities including Mumbai, Maharashtra, Gujarat & Madhya Pradesh. During MATTA Fair in March 2019, the Board launched the VSC Commemorative Stamp on March 15. Two sets of stamps featuring Sarawak-themed imagery, one of which was the limited edition ‘Visit Sarawak Campaign’ (VSC) commemorative stamp set. The second set of stamps featuring a different design was available for purchase at post offices throughout Malaysia, as a part of Pos Malaysia’s support for the VSC. In mid-August, the Board through a collaborative effort with AirAsia and Laduni Services Sdn. Bhd. ensured that Sarawak’s brand was widely seen on selected aircrafts flying in the region. This promotion has reached reach six countries around Asean in one year. Through this collaboration, the overhead cabin compartments of five AirAsia planes were prominently adorned with visuals depicting Sarawak as a destination full of life, vibrancy and excitement, showcasing various attractions of Sarawak’s culture, adventure, nature, food and festivals. The Board together with OKSHE (Old Kuching Smart Heritage) showcased a range of Sarawak batik collections to boost visibility of the Sarawak ‘brand’, encapsulating various aspects of Sarawak in the design at the 16th Piala Seri Endon (PSE) Competition Finals, held at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre in early September.
▶ Air Accessibility Bintulu and Sibu received inaugural flights from Bandar Seri Begawan on November 5 and 14 respectively. Royal Brunei Airline flies six weekly flights to Sibu and five weekly flights to Bintulu, operated by Malindo Air on its brand-new ATR 72-600 aircrafts. The Board signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) on December 30 2019 with ATS Global Travel and Charter Sdn Bhd for a business proposal to make Kuching an umrah hub for the region. Hainan Airlines Holding Company Limited would launch its scheduled HaikouKuching-Haikou direct flight in 2020.
▶ Moving Forward The Board was moving forward to undertake some exciting initiatives by looking at new target markets, specifically India, to expand business in the region in 2020. The Board would revisit Korea and Japan markets. It was timely for Sarawak to diversify and penetrate new markets while maintaining the existing markets. The Board would continue in optimising digital technology, capitalising on the social media platforms and travel related mobile applications to reach global markets and target market segments. Tourism, as one of our state’s vital contributors to economic growth; we aimed to increase tourist arrivals to 5 million in 2020!
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SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD ANNUAL REPORT
2019
▶ ASEAN Market Domestic Market (West Malaysia and Sabah) In 2019, there was a significant growth of 11.30% in domestic visitor arrivals. The Visit Sarawak Campaign (VSC), digital promotion and advertising on LED screens and static billboards at strategic locations in West Malaysia and Sabah increased the destination visibility by featuring the five themes, CANFF: (Culture, Adventure, Nature, Food and Festivals). The new multicoloured logo spells out “Sarawak” with the tagline “More to Discover”, to represent the aims of the campaign.
In late February the Board organised one Business Networking Session in Johor, Kuala Lumpur and Penang in collaboration with MATTA Sarawak, with 15 industry partners. The event in these three venues was attended by 113 travel agents. In April and October, two familiarisation trips were organised for 14 Johor agents and 30 Kuala Lumpur agents.
Borneo 4x4 Adventure Club Borneo Exploration 2019
Indonesia (Pontianak) and Brunei Market
This year, the Board worked very closely with Royal Brunei Airlines (RBA) on promoting the destinations. RBA commenced flights to and from Bintulu and Sibu from 05 November 2019 and 14 November 2019 respectively, with five (5) flights to/ from Bintulu and six (6) flights to/from Sibu. RBA is operating with two brand new ATR 72-600 aircraft configured in all economy 72 seats layout. When promoting the new aircraft, RBA collaborated with STB by organising four (4) familiarisation trips with a mixture of 52 Brunei agents, media and key opinion leaders (KOLs) who visited Kuching. The Board and five (5) Sarawak Industry Players participated in the Sabre Brunei Travel Fair in early August, organised at one of the shopping malls in Brunei Darussalam.
Indonesia and Brunei are significant cross-border markets, considering the high number of arrivals recorded from these territories. In 2019, the arrivals from Indonesia showed an increase of 0.16% while Brunei dropped by 2.38%. Briefing on Visit Sarawak Campaign(VSC) at Serian
The Board participated in two (2) MATTA Fairs in Kuala Lumpur, in March and September. 16 industry partners participated in the March MATTA Fair, and 13 industry partners in September. An estimated RM730,000.00 worth of sales were transacted during the three-day period for both fairs.
Visitors from West Kalimantan and Brunei may be attracted through events, including shopping and entertainment, not only to encourage them to cross Sarawak’s border but also to extend their length of stay in the State. For West Kalimantan, it will be strategic to further emphasise medical tourism.
Sabre Brunei Fair
In Indonesia, the Board joined in the Outfest Indonesia, Jakarta, organised at Lapangan Aldiron, Pancoran in early August for the first time. Two (2) Indonesian-based travel agents participated to promote the adventure and leisure products of Sarawak. It was a 4-day event attracting 80,000 visitors.
Jakarta MATTA Fair Kuala Lumpur Brunei
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SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD ANNUAL REPORT
2019
In Pontianak, the Board organised a Sarawak Travel Fair in early December, with nine (9) Sarawak industry partners including medical institutions, shopping malls, tourism products, hotels and travel agents. The event targeted families looking for year-end holidays. Tourism Malaysia Jakarta organised a roadshow to Semarang and Solo towards the end of September to promote Visit Malaysia Year 2020. At each destination, there were more than 100 participants, not only travel agents but those interested in Malaysia’s medical and educational tourism. To further promote the destination, the Board organised three familiarisation trips for Indonesian travel agents in order to further promote adventure products and golfing within the Kuching area.
Outfest Jakarta
Singapore Market Singapore will continue to be the Board’s source market. We continue to invest substantial resources to attract and entice consumers from the city state for a short get-away to sample the state’s uniqueness. In 2019, there was an increase of 7.04% of Singapore arrivals. The Board’s target will continue to be focussed on specific segments to include Expats, Professionals, Managers, Executives and Businessmen (PMEB) segments, students/youths, focus group travel, religious tourism and special interests.
STATOS, Singapore
With the opening of the Sarawak Trade and Tourism Office Singapore (STATOS) in August 2019 as a one-stop centre for investment and business as well as tourism players in Singapore, the Sarawak government is to explore the global market, bring in more investments, promote trade and attract more tourists to Sarawak. The Board organised two Business Networking Sessions in late February 2019 and in October 2019. The February session was in collaboration with MATTA Sarawak, Scoot Singapore and the Tourism Malaysia Singapore office. 15 Sarawak industry players participated in the Session and 36 Singapore industry members attended. The October session was in collaboration with STATOS, 11 Sarawak industry partners participated with a total of 40 attendees.
ITB Asia, Singapore
The Board organised and participated in two initiatives under the industry development programme: the International Friendship Day in mid-April at two Singapore schools, and the Sarawak-Singapore Business Forum And Expo inconjunction with STATOS launched on 16 August 2019.These initiatives were designed to create a close working relationship in the hope of creating a vibrant and profitable tourism industry in Sarawak. The Board also participated in Asia’s leading travel trade show, ITB Asia, Singapore, in October 2019, with 11 Sarawak industry partners. There were six sets of appointments with 33 appointments each for 11 participating agencies. ITB Asia concluded with an attendance of 1,300 exhibitors and 1,250 travel buyers. A familiarisation trip was organised in partnership with Scoot Singapore and Tourism Malaysia Singapore in late September. 14 Singapore travel agents visited Kuching. The highlighted products were Heart to Heart Programme with Orang Utan, and Kayaking in the Rainforest.
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The Brand Laureate, Singapore
SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD ANNUAL REPORT
2019
In 2019, STB participated in three (3) main international trade fairs:
▶ Long Haul Market Europe (United Kingdom, Germany, Benelux) and Australia Our foreign visitor arrivals for 2019 reflected a slight percentage change of -1.44%. There were still many factors contributing to this slowdown, one of which was direct air connectivity which made the destination more competitive as compared to others. With the global crisis slowing the world economy, diseases and safety concerns, we anticipate more slowdowns in terms of foreign visitor arrivals. In 2019, STB continued its collaborative partnership strategy in the traditional maintenance markets of Europe, that is, United Kingdom, Germany and Benelux. We promoted the Visit Sarawak Campaign (VSC) outlining the thematic focus on Culture, Adventure, Nature, Food and Festivals (CANFF) with its new tagline of “Sarawak – More to Discover”, which was very well received in the market place.
▶▶ MATKA2019 in Helsinki, Finland in January ▶▶ Internationale Tourismus Börse (ITB) Berlin, Germany in March ▶▶ World Travel Market (WTM), London, United Kingdom in November The events were in support of a total of ten (10) industry partners who were able to engage with their foreign counterparts for business development. STB also participated in a consumer fair, Flight Centre World Travel Expo in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia in February. This consumer-driven effort was not only for destination awareness but also to stimulate the interests of the Australian market in Sarawak. A post-MATKA Sarawak Tourism Product Update Meeting was organised in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in January, for Sarawak industry partners to meet 30 Dutch tour operators and update them on our new products. In April, STB participated in the Tourism Malaysia Roadshow and Malaysia New Products Seminar
in Perth, Sydney and Melbourne, Australia, which covered a Sarawak presentation as well as mini travel mart and was attended by 70 Australian agents and media in each city. STB also organised the Sarawak Tourism Roadshow with Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MH) in Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, Australia, in May and this was attended by a total of 160 Australian agents. In terms of familiarisation trips, STB covered a total of thirtysix (36) travel agents in the long haul market for 2019. In April and September, two (2) familiarisation trips were organised for eight (8) top-selling agents with Intrepid Group, Australia, and eight (8) top travel agents for Tischler Reisen, Germany subsequently. STB also collaborated with industry partners in organising familiarisation trips to Sarawak for twenty (20) travel agents from Finland, Italy, UK, Sweden and USA; most of these were Borneo specialists with an interest in cycling and bird-watching.
PATA Swedish Agent Familiarisation trip
Tischler Reisen Agent Familiarisation 1 Internationale Tourismus-Börse Berlin (ITB) Berlin
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SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD ANNUAL REPORT
2019
2) Taiwan Market Taiwan is one of the potential Mandarin-speaking markets. In the year 2019 the number of arrivals from Taiwan showed an increase of 7.91%. For the Taiwan Market, the Board participated in the International Travel Fair (ITF) November 2019 in Taipei, with Royal Brunei Airlines (RBA). The objectives are to encourage and promote Taiwanese visitors to travel to Sarawak by using RBA Brunei- Kuching direct flights.
China International Tourism Industry Expo(CITIE)
▶▶ Mandarin-Speaking Market 1) China Market China is one of the significant tourism markets that contribute a high number of arrivals to Sarawak. However, in year 2019 the number of arrivals from China showed a decrease of 9.29 % For the China Market, we work closely with Tourism Malaysia to promote Sarawak. The Board participated in 2 consumer fairs, Suzhou International Travel Fair (SITF) in March with Tourism Malaysia in Shanghai, and China (Guangdong) International Tourism Industry Expo (CITIE) in August with Tourism Malaysia Shanghai. CITIE is the largest tourism exhibitor and professional buyer in Southern China.
meeting between Ministry of Tourism, Sarawak Tourism Board and CITS, Sichuan China, aimed at tourism collaboration with CITS. The Ministry of Tourism foresees an opportunity for Sarawak to open up new markets in China, considering the huge number of potential tourists from the region. We work with counterparts in China; 11 local industry partners participated in Chengdu Roadshow. In October, a Familiarization Trip was organised for Sichuan travel agents to experience products in Mulu and Kuching.
Suzhou International Travel Fair
The Board organised one (1) Business Networking Session in Chengdu. This B2B session was an outcome of the
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TM Guangzhou Merdeka Day
Presentation Malaysian Travel Trade Seminar Taichun, Taiwan
To further promote Sarawak, the board will organise a Familiarization Trip for RBA’s counterparts next year. The Board participated in the VM 2020 Malaysian Travel Trade Seminar in Taiwan, which was organised by Tourism Malaysia Taiwan. These activities were held in the major cities of Taiwan - Taipei, and Taichung. 1 industry participated with STB in VM 2020 Malaysian Travel Trade Seminar Fair. We may expect an estimated sale of RM 30,000.00.
SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD ANNUAL REPORT
2019
▶ Marketing Initiatives 2019 Marketing Support Programme The Marketing Support Programme focused on providing support to tourism business partners for the purpose of destination marketing. The Board supported industry member’s participation in the MATTA Fair both in Johor Bahru and Penang, the Taiwan GuanDu Bird Fair, the Malaysia International Dive Expo in Kuala Lumpur and Every Woman Expo in Perth. For the long haul market, the Board supported joint marketing campaigns with MyHoliday 2 (Australia), Tischler Reisen AG (Germany), Pangea Travel (The Netherlands), Premier Holidays (UK), Stjernegaard Rejser (Denmark), Tourism Malaysia Frankfurt & Explorer Fernreisen GmBH (Germany) and Malaysia Airlines UK & Europe. Familiarisation trips are an essential part of working in the travel industry. The Board supported Paradesa Borneo, Saddle Skedaddle (UK), Matahari Tours, Ecogreen Holidays, Borneo Birding Tours, Borneo Adventure, Innosar Holidays, Pan Bright Travel Service (Brunei Darussalam), Sunshine Joytour Borneo, Greatown Travel and Diethelm Travel. For promotional materials and online promotion, the Board supported in the printing of the Kuching Free Map, printing window panels display for both Tourism Malaysia Brunei and Singapore offices, producing a Sarawak video for promotion on Social Media in Indonesia, brochures in the Indonesian language, medical tourism flyers in English and Indonesian, online marketing for Singapore and Malaysia markets, printing of flyers for MATTA fair promotion, printing of a MATTA Johor table calendar 2020, social media promotion with Scoot Airline, Sarawak cultural costumes, buntings for promotion in Singapore, digital and consumer promo campaign and flyers for taxis and National Geographic Competition Campaigns in UK, lucky draw prizes (tours and accommodation) in
various trade and consumer fairs, and printing of posters and T-shirts for 10th Asian Bird Fair in Kuching. The Board also supported associations and universities in their events such as Kuching Heritage Race, Chinese New Year Open House, MTEX Travel Exchange 2019, launching of Mulu Best Deals by Tropical Adventure, 15th Mini Film Festival by Faculty of Applied and Creative Arts (UNIMAS), Bario WWII Commando Landing Monument, cultural performances, 18th Kuching Inter-cultural Mooncake Festival 2019, Penang 4 x 4 Expedition, and UNIMAS Global Festival 2019.
Industry Development Programme In 2019, the Board had a number of engagements with private sector and industry players in order to synergize tourism business opportunities, and to create a close working relationship to foster a vibrant and profitable tourism industry in Sarawak. The Board had engagements with Bintulu, Sibu, Miri and Kuching industry partners in promoting the Royal Brunei Airlines network, and also to provide updates on the upcoming marketing plan. In March, the Board was involved in a meeting with Tourism Malaysia Brunei office and Miri City Council for promoting the Tourism Malaysia Brunei campaign of ‘Let’s Shopping N Get 1 Night Stay @ Miri 2019’, participated by seven (7) Miri hotels. Early October, the Board had a meeting with Sabah Tourism Board’s Directors to understand and learn from their success stories. MATTA Sarawak Chapter organised a product update and meeting in Bintulu in late October to discuss Bintulu promotion, and the Board was involved in the discussion.
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SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD ANNUAL REPORT
2019
Visit Sarawak Campaign #VSC The Visit Sarawak Campaign is designed to place Sarawak on the tourism map as one of the preferred tourism destinations in Southeast Asia.
▶ The Objective: The Campaign’s three-pronged objectives are to enhance visibility of ‘brand sarawak’ in the international and domestic markets; to inculcate into local Sarawakians a sense of belonging and ownership over the tourism products and attractions in Sarawak; while providing excellent content of Sarawak’s tourism products/services and value-for-money product experiences. ▶ Campaign Output: The Campaign aims to increase Sarawak’s brand visibility in all major international and domestic markets through integrated marketing strategies, constructed to facilitate local Sarawakians to excel in tourism, while at the same time emphasizing ‘call for action’ content throughout the campaign by industry partners.
▶ Campaign Outcome: The campaign aims at targeting at least 5 million visitors’ arrival in 2019 with an estimated tourism receipts amounting to RM8.79 billion. ▶ Campaign Timeline: 2018 – Roll out pre-campaign. Logo, tag line and campaign video launch on; 16 October Kuala Lumpur
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18 October Singapore
7 November London, UK
19 December Shenzhen, China
31 December Kuching, Sarawak (official launching)
SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD ANNUAL REPORT
2019
2019 – The campaign year: Intensive promotion of Sarawak tourism through a concerted advertising (conventional and digital), Business to Business – B2B and Business to Customer – B2C campaigns in focus markets of ASEAN, China, Australia and Europe.
Tagline “More To Discover”
Sarawak Tourism Board’s new logo multi-coloured logo spells out “Sarawak” with the tagline, “More To Discover” to represent the aspirations of the campaign. Comprising seven colours, in curled script, the red and yellow colours represent the state flag while orange represents the strong spirit and vibrant energy of the different ethnic communities within Sarawak, which is quintessential to Sarawak’s diverse tourism proposition. Green is used to represent the verdant rainforests abundant with wildlife and blue is used to represent the calmness of the ocean along Sarawak’s long coastline. The uniqueness of the logo is augmented by the hornbill, which replaces the letter “A,” representing Sarawak’s moniker, “Bumi Kenyalang,” or “Land of the Hornbills” that the State has been known for many years, which is also an important symbol of luck to the indigenous people of Sarawak.
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SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD ANNUAL REPORT
2019
Communications Unit ▶ Key Achievements ▶▶ Delivering communication campaign across 15 markets (UK, Netherlands, Germany, France, Finland, Australia, Taiwan, China, Japan, Korea, India, Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia)
The media and influencers have shown interest in Familiarization Trips (Fam Trip) to Sarawak since the grand celebration of 2019 New Year held in Kuching. The media and influencers’ Fam trips were undertaken across print, digital social media and broadcasting channels to inspire visitors to Sarawak through storytelling.
▶▶ Launching “More to Discover”, a dedicated marketing campaign tagline with emphasis on Culture, Adventure, Nature, Food, and Festival (CANFF) to attract holidaymakers to Sarawak. ▶▶ Appointing new creative and PR agencies (ISC Innovators, TBWA Kuala Lumpur and bzBee Consult Sdn Bhd). ▶▶ Generating more than 1,916 pieces of content via public relations, media and influencer-hosting activities that had an equivalent advertising value of RM18.3 million. ▶▶ Attracting a cumulative audience of over 60 million people through Sarawak tourism-related news content generated in print, online and broadcast media. ▶▶ Sarawak brand visibility equated impressions to more than 1 billion real eyeballs through “Out Of Home’ media, based on average of 53 LED and static billboards across Malaysia. ▶▶ Average PR value worth of RM84.3 million generated through all media platforms involved (Print, Online, Broadcast, OOH).
A total of 32 scheduled media familiarisation trips organised this year consist of 164 media personnel visiting Sarawak. Altogether including participation in STB organised events, the Board hosted approximately 514 pax travel media, journalist, specialist bloggers, photographers and influencers’ representatives as well as KOL from 21 countries to experience our potential tourism products and events such as the Rainforest World Music Festival, Borneo Jazz and other culture related festivals throughout the state.
▶ Public Relations and Media Hosting The Visit Sarawak Campaign has produced results as shown by the tourist arrivals registered from the beginning of the year. The tagline, “More to Discover” underscores STB’s strategy to position the state as a plethora of culture, adventure, nature, food and festivals (CANFF), all ready to be discovered. The PR program remains integrated with our marketing activity across all markets, generating positive publicity for the Visit Sarawak Campaign. In 2019 we generated more than 1,916 pieces of content via our PR, media and influencers program activities that had an equivalent advertising value of RM18.3 million.
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Highlights of the media includes TTR Weekly featuring the new VSC campaign logo, Inside Recent Singapore highlighting Singapore as a key hub for Sarawak tourism,
SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD ANNUAL REPORT
2019
TTG Asia, Asian Journeys Singapore, Master Chef UK, UK Guardian, Financial Times UK, WGBH Boston, Miami New Times, NSTP Malaysia, The Star, Gaya Travel Magazine, Going Places Magazine, Travel3Sixty magazine, TTG UK & Ireland, National Geographic Traveller, Songlines UK, ResponsibleTravel.com, Uncover Asia, ANTARA News Agency Indonesia, Pontianak Post Indonesia, Brunei Times, Borneo Bulletin, IntrepidTravel.com, WorldMusicCentral.org (USA), RadSeason.com (Aus), Voluntouring.org, YourStory Media (India), Japan-iichiko magazine, Japan M. Arukikata Travel Book and I-walker Taiwan. Broadcast activities were also undertaken, including DeutschlandfunkKultur (German nationwide broadcast) highlights on Sarawak music and culture on DeutschlandfunkKultur program, Radio 5 Netherlands on Sarawak world music and cultures, the BBC Radio program on RWMF musical performance, MTV Iggy, National Geographic Music, Kristal FM Brunei, Radio Republic Indonesia, TV3 Malaysia, Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) channels, ASTRO radio channels (Hitz FM, MyFM, Era FM), Volare FM Indonesia as well as Hard Rock FM Bandung.
Filming Support In order to promote Sarawak through filming, the Board has assisted 50 production houses from Taiwan, China, Korea, Japan, United Kingdom, France, Singapore and Malaysia to work in the state. The largest filming crews were from the Margate House Films (Biscuit Films), bringing in 210 pax for the White Rajah movie from 1 July 2019 until 1 December 2019. Some other filming programmes are documentaries such as i-Walker by Taiwan Sanlih E-Television Co Ltd Production, Searching for the Bird of Myth : The Chinese Crested Tern by Hongqi Culture Limited (Taiwan), BBC well-known series “Top Gear” by BBC Studio United Kingdom and also the Malaysian TV Production RTM producing documentaries such as ‘KarokKitak Bah’ and ‘KayuhMakan and Ulang’ that shoots throughout the state. Film crews, producers and film actors accounted for at least 350 visitor arrivals, and we are expecting a future influx when the various programmes are screened world-wide.
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SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD ANNUAL REPORT
2019
Christmas Video Shooting
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SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD ANNUAL REPORT
2019
Print and Visual Collateral Support
Year 2019 has recorded the first batch of the newly produced ’10 titles brochure’ namely the Kuching & Southwest Sarawak Visitor’s Guide, Sibu & Central Sarawak Visitor’s Guide, Miri & Northeast Sarawak Visitor’s Guide, 10 Things To Do In Sarawak, Sarawak Good Guide, National Parks in Sarawak, Heritage & Historical Places in Sarawak, Handicraft & Souvenir Experience in Sarawak, Medical Tourism in Sarawak, and Education Tourism in Sarawak. Accompanying the 10 main titles are the ‘9 Divisional Brochure’ produced in the same year. The new titles serve as an official reference and guide dedicated for each division in Sarawak: Betong, Bintulu, Kapit, Limbang, Mukah, Samarahan, Sarikei, Serian and Sri Aman. The Unit ordered translations of (1) type of destination brochures into the German language namely ‘Sarawak die Heimat des Abenteuers’ (product cluster) for German market distribution. The same title has also been translated into the Indonesian language, called ‘Sarawak – Rumah Untuk Petualangan’ which has been distributed during trade and consumer fairs in Indonesia. The English version, called ‘Sarawak – Home of Adventures’ has gone through a comprehensive update in 2019 with another round of printing for general market use. We managed to support Tourism Malaysia Frankfurt, Tourism Malaysia London, Tourism Malaysia Japan, Tourism Malaysia Singapore as well as the Sarawak Trade and Tourism Office Singapore (STATOS) with the latest Sarawak print collaterals, and to replenish the overseas brochure racks at the same time. The Unit has also produced 2 videos promoting events and festival in 2019. The first one is the ‘3 Festivals 1 Destination’ video promoting the iconic Rainforest World Music Festival, Borneo Jazz Festival and Rainforest Fringe Festival. The second video is ‘Highlights of RWMF 2019’ an introduction of performing bands 2019 festival.
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SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD ANNUAL REPORT
2019
Digital Marketing 2019 The Board’s Digital Marketing unit has successfully kicked off its various marketing initiatives such as the roll-out VSC More microsite (more.sarawaktourism.com) with Trip Planner module. Editorial content included the creation of 24 Branded Articles, engagement with Digital Influencers such as Responsible Travel, TripZilla and Pemburu Tiket Murah supported by paid online advertisement and social media amplifications done internally for events & festivals like Rainforest World Music Festival, where we introduced a dedicated app for the festival-goers.
As a result from all the initiatives mentioned above, the Board’s official website (sarawaktourism.com) recorded a positive of 124% (945,316) increase, compared to 2018 (421,985).
Website visitors by countries
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SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD ANNUAL REPORT
2019
The top 10 countries that visited our official website in 2019 were Malaysia (42.7%), China (12.8%), Singapore (7.1%), Indonesia (5.3%), Australia (5.3%), UK (5.1%), US (3.4%), India (3.3%), Germany (2.9%), and Brunei (2.7%). Interestingly, China was not listed in the top 10 list in 2018, however in 2019, China contributed the second-highest traffic to our official website. In addition, STB’S Official WeChat Account has gone live in June 2019, where the WeChat articles were also posted on STB Chinese website. The Board’s total social media marketing reach stood at 210,006 (+10.58%) vs 189,909 in 2018. The social media platforms consist of WeChat, Weibo, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, and eNewletter Subscribers.
STB Official WeChat Account
Sarawak Share of Voice stood at 4.32% (Q4 2019) against the other holiday destinations in Malaysia that were measured. The other destinations are Kuala Lumpur (45.5%), Langkawi (19.27%), Sabah (11.57%), Johor (9.29%), Penang (7.80%), and Malacca (2.25%).
Content marketing via the Board’s digital assets remains the fundamental means to build trust with our audience, connect with our customers, improve conversions, and generate leads.
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SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD ANNUAL REPORT
2019
Research / Market Intelligence Unit The Research / Market Intelligence unit conducted 10 research studies in 2019 which include STB’s focus markets research, Sarawak tourism performance analysis, RWMF & BJF research and research on Visit Sarawak Campaign effectiveness. The research used both primary and secondary data for the analysis and came out with findings and recommendations which gave a clear direction for the Board’s strategic planning. The research unit collaborates with UNWTO, PATA, Euro to monitor the big data analysis and the market intelligence, frequently in partnership with Tourism Malaysia, Department Of Statistics Malaysia and Immigration Department, to get updated information about visitor arrivals, tourism trends and patterns nationally, regionally and globally.
The main projects in 2019; a) Australian Industry Players’ Perspectives Towards Sarawak Tourism Product, Aptness And Australian Outbound Tourists Demand And Travel Behaviour. Key Insights:▶▶
Australian outbound tourists arrivals: Sarawak scenario: In 2019, Australian visitor arrivals to Sarawak showed an increase, compared to past years. Sarawak received a total of 16,881 visitors, a growth rate of + 3.91%. The last five years’ data (2015-2019) showed that, in 2019 there was a landmark of growth in visitor arrivals (+3.91%) from -14.2% in 2018).
▶▶
The destination awareness about “Sarawak” increased (4.34% visibility increase) from 69% (2018) to 72% (2019). The VSC, intensive marketing and promotion with the collaboration of Tourism Malaysia and airlines in Australia enhanced the visibility of the state in the Australian market.
The main sources of information about Sarawak are destination brochures and posts, distributed by travel agents/ tour operators and the internet. ▶▶
Australian customer demand analysis: 1.
Experience rainforests and mountains
2. Good accommodation and hospitality service 3. Visit national parks 4. Authentic local food The most saleable packages for Sarawak in Australia Market ▶▶
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Our signature tourism products (CANFF). Cultural tourism products (78%) followed by nature (68.5%) and adventure (59.3%) .
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b) Domestic Tourism Market - Analysis of STB - Matta Industry Stakeholders Perspectives Key Insights:-
c) Project Title: Golf Tourism -- An Overview, And Its Potentials Malaysia vs Sarawak Key Insights:i.
The main source markets for golf tourism are, USA, UK, Japan, Canada and Australia. The emerging markets are Taiwan, Malaysia, China and Thailand.
ii.
Golf tourism in Malaysia is under the Malaysian Golf Association (MGA) and Malaysia’s popularity as a golf destination has grown over the years. The country has won the award ‘Asia’s Best Golf Destination 2015’ at the 2nd Annual World Golf Awards in Portugal.
iii. There are over 200 golf courses located around the country, with each offering avid golfers a unique experience. Golf will become a vibrant tourism product. iv. In Sarawak, golf tourism is in an emerging stage, and the Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC Sarawak) takes initiatives to make the state a golfing destination. v.
The Sarawak Golf Association is the key partner of golf tourism in the state. They revealed that in 2018, the club was visited by 20,000 golfers from throughout Malaysia and other countries such as USA, United Kingdom, Australia, Switzerland, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and Brunei.
vi. Golf tourism in Sarawak is a slowly emerging tourism product. It has great future potential if we nurture it correctly.
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2019
d) Indian Outbound Tourism Market: Destination Awareness And Consumer Demands: An Analysis
Key Insights:▶▶
Indian consumers are tech-savvy people. Internet (23%) is the main information source to get to know about Sarawak followed by tour operators (12.1%) and B2B sessions and WOM (10.6%).
▶▶
Indian consumer intention to visit Sarawak
(Source: STB Research, Indian Outbound Tourism Market, 2019)
▶▶
Demand level of tourism products among Indian consumers
Based on the demand level of tourism products among Indian consumers, the high demand items are; • • • •
City tours and shopping Beach tours and sunset National parks and wild life tours Experience rainforests and mountains
(Source: STB Research, Indian Outbound Tourism Market, 2019)
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SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD ANNUAL REPORT
2019
▶▶
Strategic Directions to enter Indian Market:-
Build foundation for destination in Indian market
Target right consumers
Intensive marketing & promotional activities
Increase awareness about “Sarawak” through tourism product presentation digital promotion, storytelling and B2BIB2C sessions.
Based on the Indian visitor arrival data, consumer travel preference, income (socio-demographic profile of consumers).
Integrated marketing approach (online & offline). Deliver our tourism and activities to Indian visitors in a better way. Personalise our marketing to ensure what reaches our target audience is most and compelling, and this will generate more positive results
(Source: STB Research, Indian Outbound Tourism Market, 2019)
e) Sarawak Tourism Marketing, Visit Sarawak Campaign (VSC) And The Way Forward – Study About The Perspectives Of Local Industry Players. Key Insights:▶▶
This study focused on Sarawak’s local industry player’s acceptance of the Visit Sarawak Campaign (VSC), their willingness to develop tourism products in Sarawak, the popular tourism products in Sarawak, the issues faced by industry partners when promoting Sarawak, STB’s website effectiveness in disseminating tourism information, and the key aspects of Sarawak tourism development and future growth in the perspectives of industry partners.
▶▶
The respondents are different stakeholders in the travel business such as tour operators, travel agents, accommodation sector, transport provider, tourism product owner, event industry, handicrafts and arts, and SMEs.
▶▶
The Visit Sarawak Campaign (VSC) was strongly supported by Sarawak industry partners. This shows the positive indication from the part of industry stakeholders who supported Sarawak Tourism Board’s initiatives. It appears that 98.4% of the local industry partners supported STB’s initiatives about Visit Sarawak Campaign. VSC’s initial focus was in the domestic market, and extended to the ASEAN market.
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SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD ANNUAL REPORT
2019
STB’s active campaign movements justified the industry partners’ expected outcomes. From October 2018 to October 2019, STB had organised seven (7) VSC promotion committee meetings and three (3) VSC divisional brochure series workshops/updates.
Based on the industry partners’ engagement with visitors about tourism products, the high demand tourism attributes are, a) national parks b) culture and heritage sites c) authentic local food d) rainforests and mountains e) traditional long houses
The main issues faced by industry players are the lack of connectivity, lack of maintenance of national parks, and the weak digital platform.
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According to our industry partners, the effectiveness of STB’s website and digital footprints are moderate (50%). The main communication channels used by the industry partners to contact visitors/customers are social media (81.6%) followed by emails (76.3%). The study concluded that the tourism industry partners in Sarawak are interested in creating niche tourism products. A higher percentage (89.5%) showed very much interest to develop new tourism products, with government support.
SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD ANNUAL REPORT
2019
f) Travel Trends And Behaviour Of New Zealand Outbound Tourists To Malaysia Vs. Sarawak- An Analysis Key Insights:The New Zealand outbound travllers who visited Malaysia are mostly leisure travellers (73%). The outbound travellers are long-stay travellers; an average length of stay was 20 days. Sarawak is one of the top 3 Malaysian destinations visited by New Zealanders. Most of the tourists love the natural attractions and cultures of the state. The main tour packages that New Zealand agents wish to sell their clients for Sarawak are: ▶▶
Bako/ SCV/ Damai Beach/ orangutan/ city tour
▶▶
Bako/ Semenoggoh Orangutan/ SCV
▶▶
Beach tour/ adventure tour
▶▶
Luxury escorted tours for the mature age group with a wide range of varied activities – cultural / city tours & wildlife tours.
▶▶
Independent packages for couples/ families - accommodation & day trips (with transport) Orangutan / Bako National Park & city tour.
Main Information Sources:-
Their main factors to choose Malaysia as their holiday destination was:
▶▶
WOM/ Friends or relatives
▶▶
Best travel cost
▶▶
Own experience 45.5%
▶▶
Good weather conditions
▶▶
Internet 73.6%
▶▶
Easy accessibility
▶▶
Information from airlines 35.4%
▶▶
Best accommodation
▶▶
Word-of-mouth
▶▶
Past experience
▶▶
Destination brochures related to tourism attractions and activities
g) Overall Performance of Sarawak Tourism In 2019
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SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD ANNUAL REPORT
2019
The overall performance of visitor arrivals to Sarawak in 2019 compared to 2018
2019 Sarawak Tourism Achievements in a Nutshell (2018 vs, 2019)
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SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD ANNUAL REPORT
2019
RESEARCH COLLABORATION IN 2019 (2 PROJECTS) 1)
BORNEO JAZZ FESTIVAL RESEARCH 2019
The BJ festival 2019 research was conducted in collaboration with Curtin University Miri, Sarawak campus. ▶▶
Key Insights of Borneo Jazz Festival 2019 RETURN ON INVESTMENT 2018
2019
3663
3850
Nationality
75% Malaysians
75% Malaysians
Nationality
25% Non-Malaysians
25% Non-Malaysians
Economic Spin off *
RM6 Million
RM6.7 Million
Media Value
RM10 Million
RM6 million
86.2%
85%
Attendees Number
Customer Satisfaction Rating
2) RAINFOREST WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL 2019 (RWMF2019) This is in collaboration with UCSi University Sarawak Campus. The comparison of RWMF2018 vs.2019 represented as the key insights. RETURN ON INVESTMENT 2018
2019
21,668
23,650
Nationality
60 % Malaysians
60 % Malaysians
Nationality
40 % Non-Malaysians
40 % Non-Malaysians
Economic Spinoff
RM42 Million
RM 46 Million
Media Value
RM15 Million
RM10.2 Million
82.6%
85%
Attendees Number
Customer Satisfaction Rating
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SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD ANNUAL REPORT
2019
Events & Corporate Relations Division Highlights attractive bins were chosen and placed around the vicinity of the festival ground throughout the 3 days to create and give meaningful functions to the bins with creativity to make it practical and integral in our daily lives.
▶
Rainforest World Festival (RWMF)
Music
The festival was held on the 12th to 14th July 2019 and attracted 23,650 attendees for the 3-day period. The ratio of non-Malaysians to Malaysians was 40:60, with a total economic spinoff of RM 47million and a PR Value of RM 7.9million.
The festival has a record of environmental awareness as evidenced by its attention to recycling, waste management and the use of shuttle buses to reduce carbon emissions. We have made a bold move by introducing ‘no plastic bottles’ at the festival and encouraging festival goers to bring they own water bottles. 19 water dispensers were provided by Cuckoo, and recyclable tableware for food vendors was provided by Ener Worldwide. The Rainforest World Crafts Bazaar again showcased and promoted indigenous arts and crafts, adding a unique ‘Shop Sarawak Culture!’ dimension to the music festival.
“3 Festivals 1 Destination” was launched on 5th April 2019, incollaboration with festival organisers and industry partners, creating special packages for both RWMF and Borneo Jazz.
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This year, Sarawak Tourism Board had partnered with Spativate on the #UrBins (Urban + Bins), a pilot project aimed to inspire members of the public on the significance of caring for the environment. Members of the local community submitted their attractive and innovative designs for the recycling bins. 15 of the unique and
The collaboration with industry stakeholders is essential in making a successful iconic event. Without the support and collaboration with our partners, the festival would not have attained this level. We have enhanced our Responsible Tourism initiatives by collaborating with festival partners in various initiatives such as the #GoRWMF mobile with Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC), What About Kuching (WAK) for activities at Damai Central, Rainforest World Crafts Bazaar by Crafthub Sdn Bhd, Sarawak Local Fingers by Canard Media Sdn Bhd and Sarawak Asia Kitchen by Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports (MTACYS). For the greening initiatives the Board collaborated with the Sarawak Cultural Village, Infocraft Tech Sdn Bhd, Canard Media Sdn Bhd, Trienekens (Sarawak) Sdn Bhd, Social Enterprises such as Worming Up and Spativate, as well as vendors and festival-goers.
SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD ANNUAL REPORT
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Green waste stations provided by Trienekens and managed by BijiBiji Initiative were placed around the festival grounds, with creative signage and posters that helped to boost recycling efforts. Proper and transparent waste segregation was carried out specifically for recyclables and food waste. For the past two years, we were able to synchronise waste management strategies across waste stations for the purpose of composting.
The Board has introduced the Green Warriors initiative, where we invited festival-goers to carry out festival ground clean-up every day during the festival. We have also made a bold move by introducing a “NO PLASTIC BOTTLES” campaign at the festival. This aims to reduce single-use plastics waste and to encourage festival-goers to bring their own water bottles. 19 water dispensers were provided by Cuckoo, while biodegradable tableware for food vendors was provided by Ener Worldwide. Special merchandise items such as limited-edition collapsible cups, and upcycled tote bags from previous RWMF promotional banners, were also part of the campaign. A Tree Planting activity was also held on 11thJuly 2019 at Pantai Puteri, Santubong, in partnership with Forest Department Sarawak. The activity involved the staff, volunteers, local communities and the stakeholders, as well as the media. More than 500 seedlings of ‘Pokok Perpat’, a species of mangrove, were planted, to help stabilise the coastline and offer shelter to the local biodiversity.
▶ Borneo Jazz (BJ) The 14th edition of the Borneo Jazz Festival was held on the 19th – 21stJuly at Coco Cabana, Miri, a week after the Rainforest World Music Festival (12th – 14thJuly).The festival attracted 3,850 attendees, with a ratio of 75:25 Malaysians to non-Malaysians and an estimated economic spin-off worth RM7.07million, and media mileage valued at RM5 million.
This year’s Borneo Jazz Festival also included a talent and DJ search. The first Borneo Jazz Talent Search was held in 2018, while the DJ Talent Search was a new category, as part of the festival’s musical outreach programme aimed at unearthing young and emerging artists from the Bornean region. We received a total number of 29 bands and DJ submissions. Among the total submissions, 8 bands and 3 DJs were chosen to perform in the final round. The Borneo Jazz Talent 2019 winners got to perform on the Main Stage on Sunday, 21st July 2019 on the 3rd day of the festival. The preliminary round was held on 30th April 2020 at Coco Cabana, Miri whereas the final round took place on 19th July 2020 at Bintang Megamall, Miri.
▶ Visit Sarawak Campaign
The Hip-hop genre was added to the festival programme for the first time in 14 years, with a Music Meeting entitled: “from Jazz to Hip-Hop”. It was the objective of Borneo Jazz to attract a younger audience, thus creating a cross-over audience to build and grow Borneo Jazz organically amongst the younger generation. The Borneo Jazz Beat Plastic Campaign (aka ‘Xwaste Project’) was conducted in conjunction with the Borneo Jazz Festival 2019 with the aim to create a socially responsible festival.
In conjunction with the Visit Sarawak Campaign (VSC), launched in the first quarter of 2019, we distributed VSC corporate shirts to taxi associations in Kuching, Sibu and Miri. Besides, more than 2,000 VSC car stickers were distributed to taxis in the three cities.
Under the VSC Content Committee chaired by Datuk Lee Kim Shin, Assistant Minister of Tourism, Arts & Culture Sarawak, it was decided that Samarahan, Serian, Sri Aman, Betong, Sarikei, Mukah, Kapit, Bintulu and Limbang Divisions are to have individual Tourism Brochures.
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Kuching, Sibu and Miri already have their own publications The production of the brochures was a joint effort with all the respective Resident Offices.
▶ Responsible Tourism The implementation of Responsible Tourism works in conjunction with the Visit Sarawak Campaign’s focus on Experiential and Responsible Tourism. Responsible Tourism focuses on 3Es i.e. ENVIRONMENT, EMPOWERMENT & ECONOMIC IMPACT. It requires that operators, hoteliers, governments, local people and tourists take responsibility, take action to make tourism more sustainable. To start off this programme, we initiated the Waste Management initiative with hotels in Kuching on 9th October 2019, officiated by Hon. Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Sarawak. For this initiative, we collaborated with ‘Worming Up’, a social enterprise with 9 hotels, 8 restaurants and 10 shopping malls in Kuching.
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Hence, this Public Private Partnership (PPP) strengthens our smart collaboration with our industry partners. In addition, the initiative has aligned with 4 SDGs, namely Goal 2 - Zero Hunger, Goal 12 Responsible Consumption and Production, Goal 13 - Climate Action and Goal 17 - Partnerships for the Goals. The Board also organised the first night-run event namely “EPIC run”, which drew 2,500 participants throughout Kuching on 30 November 2019 at Padang Merdeka, Kuching. EPIC means E = excellence, P = professionalism, I = integrity and C = caring. These are the highest human values. If translated into action, EPIC can make the world better place to share and live in. Proceeds from the run were channelled to Dyslexia Association in Sarawak, Society for Cancer Advocacy and Awareness (SCAN) and BeFrienders Kuching.
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Product Management The Board continued to expose new and potential tourism products through the Sarawak Product Experience (SPE) initiatives organised by our Visitors Information Centres in Kuching, Sibu and Miri. For 2019, five Sarawak Product Experiences (SPE) were carried out . i.
Long Selaan – Upper Baram, Miri : 25th - 28th February 2019
ii.
Sematan Discovery : 28th - 30th May 2019
iii. Julau & Upriver Expedition : 24th - 26th June 2019 iv. Miri Offshore Fishing Experience : 26th - 28th July 2019 v.
Belaga Expedition : 26th - 29th August 2019
vi. Sematan Discovery : 14th - 17th October 2019 Through these initiatives, the Board was able to experience firsthand the various tourism products which are available, to enable our staff to disseminate authentic, interesting information to visitors and media.
Visitors Information Centre Kuching Renovation The renovation of the Visitors Information Centre (VIC) Kuching at Block B, Old Court House commenced on 12 June 2019. The project was officially handed over to the Board on 12 September 2019. The design layout, look and feel of the new VIC Kuching will be replicated at VIC Sibu and VIC Miri; their renovations are scheduled for 2020 as part and parcel of Board’s rebranding exercise.
Corporate Relations The Board continues to support local event organisers in their pre-publicity initiatives through our social media platforms and by editorial support in local publications (Borneo Talk, KINO and Happenings). The Board also offers support in other aspects such as hosting welcoming receptions, providing pre/post tours, as well as souvenirs.
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In 2019, a total of 89 home-grown tourism events were promoted through our social media platform and website namely Miri May Fest (Miri), Pesta Bung Bratak (Bau), Miri City International Deep Sea Fishing Tournament, SBC Biodiversity Day (Kuching), Lun Bawang Festival – Irau Aco (Lawas), Pesta Babulang (Limbang), 11thKuching Bridge Congress, Rainforest Fringe Festival (Kuching), Rainforest World Music Festival (Kuching), Sibu Street Art Festival (Sibu), Borneo Cultural Festival (Sibu), Borneo Jazz Festival (Miri), Pesta Pusa (Betong), Bintulu 20KM Run (Bintulu), Julau Pepper Festival (Sarikei), Asia Pacific Orchid Conference - APOC13 (Kuching), Pesta Nukenen (Bario) Borneo International Sailing Challenge (Miri), Kuching Festival, White Rajah Jungle Trekking (Betong), Sibu International Dance Festival –SIDF (Sibu), Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP) Carnival Sarawak (Kuching), Sebangkoi Mountain Bike (Sarikei), Kuching Marathon, Lambir Trail #SibutiChallenge (Miri), Semadang River Tagang(Padawan), 4thSarawak International 4×4 Jamboree (Bintulu), Bario Trail Run (Bario), Benak Road Trail Run (Sri Aman), Samarahan Bridge Half Marathon, Kanowit Festival (Kanowit), Borneo International Kite Festival (Bintulu), Betong Festival (Betong), Tasik Biru Festival (Bau), Kuching Waterfont Jazz Festival, Pesta Benak (Sri Aman), Samarahan International Food Festival, 10th Asian Bird Fair (Kuching), Sebauh Nature Run (Bintulu), and others Services of tourism information booths was provided with relevant information services to participants and visitors at the following events: ▶▶ International Borneo Festival (Kuala Lumpur) ▶▶ Malaysian International Food & Beverage Festival (Kuala Lumpur) ▶▶ Borneo Weekend by Sugarbun (Kuala Lumpur) ▶▶ Rainforest In The City (Kuching) ▶▶ International Digital Economy Conference Sarawak – IDECS (Kuching) ▶▶ Asia Pacific Orchid Conference – APOC13 (Kuching) ▶▶ Kuching Marathon ▶▶ Tour De Malindo (Lundu) ▶▶ Sarawak International Open Tenpin Bowling (Kuching). To establish good relationship with other well-known music festivals, the Board collaborated with Taiwan Music Festivals, Asia Pacific Music Meeting (APaMM), Edinburgh Fringe Festival and World Music Expo 2019 (WOMEX) through our cross-promotion initiatives.
Cruise Ships and Inaugural Flights Sarawak has seen a steady growth of cruise ship arrivals since 2007. For 2019, the ports of Kuching, Miri and Bintulu, have received a total of 18 cruise ship arrivals by Star Clippers Monaco, Le Laperouse France and Seven Seas Voyager US. We accorded traditional welcomes to 4 inaugural flights by AirAsia (BKI-SBW), Malindo Air (HAK-KCH) and RBA Link (BWN-BTU & BWN-SBW).
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Financial Statements
44 45 45 46-49 50 51 52 53-79
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Awards Received By Sarawak Tourism Board DATE Nov 1995
AWARD GLOBAL AWARD
RECIPIENT Sarawak Tourism Board
EVENT World Travel Market London - United Kingdom
May 1996
BEST NATIONAL BOARD BOOTH
Sarawak Pavilion
Asia Travel Mart Singapore
June 1996
BEST BOOTH PRESENTATION
Sarawak Pavilion
International Travel Exhibition Hong Kong
Feb 1997
MOST CREATIVE EXHIBITION
Sarawak Pavilion
MATTA International Travel Fair Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia
June 1997
BEST INTERNATIONAL
Sarawak Pavilion
Northern Territory Exhibition Darwin Australia
EXHIBIT AWARD Nov 1997
BEST DESTINATION VIDEO
5 Star Adventure Promotional Video
Tourism Malaysia Annual Tourism and Travel Awards Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia
Nov 1997
BEST ILLUSTRATIONS FOR POSTERS
“Hidden Paradise of Borneo” Campaign posters
Singapore Creative Circle Awards -Singapore
Nov 1997
BRONZE AWARD FOR ILLUSTRATION/TYPOGRAPHY
“Golden Days in Sarawak” promotional brochure
Australian Writers and Arts Directors Awards - Australia
Nov 1997
STATUE AWARD – BEST
“Hidden Paradise of Borneo” Advertising visuals
London International Advertising
ILLUSTRATION CATEGORY
Advertising Awards London – United Kingdom
Nov 1997
BEST ILLUSTRATION AWARD
“Hidden Paradise of Borneo advertising
Taiwan Times Asia – Pacific Advertising Awards Taipei – Taiwan
Mar 1998
PATA GOLDEN AWARDS FOR:
• International Marketing Programme
Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Conference Manila – Philippines
• Public Relations • Travel Advertisement (Print Media) • Consumer Travel Brochures • Travel Posters
Apr 1998
• BEST NEW DESTINATION MARKETING AWARD
Sarawak Tourism Board
Travel Asia Breakthrough Awards - Singapore
• NEW DESTINATION MARKETEER OF THE YEAR Apr 1998
BEST NTO STAND
Sarawak Pavilion
PATA Travel Mart -Singapore
Oct 1998
BEST COUNTRY PAVILLION
Sarawak Pavilion
IT&CMA Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
Apr 1999
THE BOOTH YOU DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE
Sarawak Pavilion
Simply The Best Awards – PATA Travel Mart -Singapore
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Oct 1999
INTERNATIONAL GOLD STAR AWARD FOR QUALITY
Sarawak Tourism Board
XXIV International Awards Convention
Sept 2000
TRAVEL ASIA BREAKTHROUGH AWARD 2000
Sarawak Tourism Board
Travel Asia Breakthrough 2000 Presentation -Singapore
May 2000
MS ISO: 9002 (1994)
Sarawak Tourism Board
Moody International Certification
Geneva – Switzerland
DEVELOPMENT & PROMOTION OF TOURISM INDUSTRY ON SARAWAK July 2000
MALAYSIA TOURISM AWARDS (MTA) 2000
Sarawak Tourism Board
July 2001
TRAVEL WEEKLY EAST INNOVATORS AWARD 2001
Sarawak Tourism Board
Singapore
22 Dec 2003
Best Sarawak Public Service Website Award 2003
Sarawak Tourism Board
Sarawak State Public Service Website Award 2003
11 Oct 2004
Malaysian Book Of Records
Integrated Management System (IMS)
23-27 Apr
PATA Gold Awards 2006
• Rainforest World Music Festival in the Heritage and Culture category
2006
PATA Annual Conference, Pattaya - Thailand
• Best Travel Poster 20 Jan 2007
Hornbill Tourism Awards
• Outstanding contributions to Tourism
Hornbill Tourism Appreciations Awards Kuching
22 Nov 2008
Anak Sarawak Appreciation Award
• Rainforest World Music Festival
Appreciation dinner organised by Sarawak Convention Bureau
• Best ASEAN Marketing and Promotional Campaign (RWMF)
ASEAN Tourism Forum, Hanoi -Vietnam
9 Jan 2009 ASEANTA Awards for Excellence 2009 July 2010
Top 25 Best International Festivals • Rainforest World Music Festival (recognition by Songlines, renowned world music magazine based in United Kingdom)
Jan 2011
Top 25 Best International Festivals • Rainforest World Music Festival (recognition by Songlines, renowned world music magazine based in United Kingdom)
March 2012
DAS GOLDENE STADTTOR 1ST Prize
Jan 2012
Top 25 Best International Festivals • Rainforest World Music Festival (recognition by Songlines, renowned world music magazine based in United Kingdom)
2012
HSMAI Adrian Awards - Silver award
Mar 2013
Top 25 Best International Festivals • Rainforest World Music Festival (recognition by Songlines, renowned world music magazine based in United Kingdom)
28 May 2013
BrandLaureate 2012-2013 Country Branding Award
• Sarawak : Where Adventure Lives – 1st Prize Print Category
• Sarawak : Where Adventure Lives – Silver Award in Re-imaging Campaign
• Rainforest World Music Festival
ITB Berlin 2012
January 28, 2013 at the Adrian Awards Dinner Reception & Gala -New York
28th May 2013 at The Majestic Hotel - Kuala Lumpur
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15 Sept 2013
PATA Gold Award 2013 - Print Advertisement Sarawak Tourism ReImaging Campaign
• Sarawak : Where Adventure Lives
Nov 2013
Best for Responsible Wildlife Experience at World Responsible Tourism Awards 2013
• The Great Orang Utan Project in Matang Wildlife Centre
15 September JinJiang Hotel, Louvre Garden -China World Travel Mart (WTM) - London
(Recognition by the prominent mainstream media partners such as Metro and industry broadcasters such as TTG, Green Hotelier and Selling Long Haul)
Mar 2014
Top 25 Best International Festivals • Rainforest World Music Festival (recognition by Songlines, renowned world music magazine based in United Kingdom)
Mar 2014
DAS GOLDENE STADTTOR 3rd Prize
Mar 2015
Top 25 Best International Festivals • Rainforest World Music Festival (recognition by Songlines, renowned world music magazine based in United Kingdom)
Oct 2015
ASEAN PR Excellence Award 2015 – • Event Management Category Gold Award
Nov 2016
HSMAI Adrian Awards - Silver Award
• Rainforest World Music Festival
ITB Berlin 2014
Kuala Lumpur
• Category: Special Event
February 21, 2017 at the Adrian Awards Gala -New York
• Best For Nature 2017
ASEAN Tourism Forum 2017, Singapore
January 2017
Travel Journal Winner 2017 – Travel Awards
April 2017
Asia Pacific Excellence Awards • Event & Experiential Marketing 2016 by Asia-Pacific Association of Communications Directors (APACD)
Hong Kong
2018
Gold Award, Special Tourism Event by • Sarawak Tourism Board the Malaysia Tourism Council
Malaysia Tourism Council
Dec 2018
Asia-Pacific Excellent Awards in the Film & Video category
• RWMF Promo Video “The Awakening”
PATA Conference, Dublin, Ireland
2018
Top 8 - Transglobal World Music Chart for Festival Award
• Rainforest World Music Festival
Transglobal World Music Chart
2019
5 Star Award - The Golden City Gate 2019
• Sarawak Tourism Board
ITB Berlin
Oct 2019
Malaysian Iconic Event Award
• Rainforest World Music Festival
Malaysia Business Events Award by MACEOS
Oct 2019
The BrandLaureate World Best Brands Award in Destination Branding
• Sarawak Tourism Board
Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore
Sep 2019
PATA Gold Award Marketing Travel • Destination Video “Why Limit Video Yourself”
*Updated on 30 Dec 2019.
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• Borneo Jazz Promo video at the 13th International Tourism Film and multimedia category
PATA Conference, Kazakhstan