Sarawak will stage the 3rd Southeast Asian Tourist Guides Conference from October 13 to 15, 2026, at the Kingwood Hotel in Sibu, bringing together around 1,000 delegates from across the region.
The event follows the inaugural conference held in Kuching in 2024 and forms part of activities linked to Visit Malaysia Year 2026. It is organised by the Sarawak Tourist Guides Association in collaboration with the Malaysian Tourist Guides Council and supported by Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak).
The conference will focus on challenges facing the tourist guiding profession, including the impact of digital tools, changing visitor expectations and a shortage of qualified guides. It also aims to strengthen regional cooperation among tourism professionals in South-east Asia.
Under Sarawak’s Post Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030, the state is targeting annual visitor growth of 7.5 per cent through 2030. Tourism authorities have identified the role of tourist guides as central to delivering visitor experiences and supporting sustainable tourism development.
The conference programme will include professional development sessions and outdoor learning activities, including a cultural exchange component focused on community-based tourism. Organisers said this is intended to support skills development and promote understanding of cultural preservation among guides.
Sibu has been selected as the host city to support tourism development beyond major urban centres and to distribute the economic impact of business events more widely across Sarawak.
Snowdan Lawan, deputy minister for Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak, commented: “Tourist guides are storytellers, cultural ambassadors, and the frontline of how our destination is understood and remembered.
“Sustaining this growth requires a highly skilled, future-ready tourism workforce. That is why we are positioning this conference as a dedicated platform for learning and professional development, while accelerating the training of new Registered Regional Specific Tourist Guides and Sarawak Park Guides to build a strong, resilient talent pipeline for the future.”
Edwin Lim, honorary chairman of the Sarawak Tourist Guides Association, said: “The role of a tourist guide is becoming more demanding in a fast-changing, digital world. This conference focuses on strengthening regional networks and building meaningful collaborations to elevate the profession.”
“Business events today must deliver more than attendance. They must deliver impact. Through this conference, we are strengthening legacy outcomes and advancing a high-value tourism economy while positioning Sarawak as the legacy capital of business events in Malaysia and Borneo,” added Jason Tan Chin Foo, acting CEO of BESarawak.
