The Sarawak state government last week unveiled the Visit Sarawak Year logo in Singapore, where it will soon have an office, as a precursor to the campaign’s official launch in January 2019.
At a trade event held in Singapore last week, Sarawak assistant minister of tourism, arts and culture, Lee Kim Shin said: “The tagline, More to Discover underscores Sarawak Tourism Board’s (STB) strategy to position the state as a plethora of culture, adventure, nature, food, and festivals offerings that are not found anywhere else in the world, and ready to be discovered.”
The campaign is aimed at increasing visitor arrivals to Sarawak to 5.2 million by end 2019, from 4.9 million in 2017. Apart from the domestic market, key focus markets include the UK, Germany, the Benelux countries, China, Australia and South-east Asia.
Lee added: “Singapore will be a central hub for STB’s marketing strategies as the Sarawak state government will be setting up an office in the city-state next year.”
There are more than 600 seats daily between Singapore and Sarawak, served by Scoot, Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia.
According to Lee, the 3D2N Kuching getaway is among the packages favoured by Singaporeans with Central Sarawak being a rising attraction.
Stretching from Sibu, on the lower Batang Rejang, upriver to Kapit and Bintulu and north-eastward along the coast to Bintulu and Miri, Central Sarawak offers some river journeys, national parks and modern urban conveniences. The Sibu Heritage Centre, the Niah National Park, the Tua Pek Kong temple and Fort Sylvia are some key attractions within this region.
STB’s CEO, Sherzede Salleh Askor, will intensify promotional efforts in 2019 through participation in trade fairs and digital platforms.