STB to launch e-portal to assist tourism SMEs

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KUCHING: Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) will be launching an e-portal to help small and medium tourism stakeholders put their products online.

Its chief executive officer Datuk Rashid Khan said that the e-portal is expected to be ready in May.

“This is a transactional portal where people can look at products and pay for it online,” he told reporters yesterday.

As far as stakeholders are concerned, there will be no cost for them to use the portal, he added.

“They can simply put up their products online, which could be reached on a global network; through the Internet and purchaseble with credit card,” he added.

This will make it possible for travellers to buy package holidays or tourism products and services in Sarawak from anywhere in the world.

Rashid pointed out that travel agents have not really embraced technology.

“More and more people are booking holidays from the comforts of their home or office. No need to go to ticket office or travel agents,” he said.

Knowing how to leverage technology will help them increase their business, he said, adding that the e-portal will help tourism players find more business by developing a presence online.

“When people search for Sarawak, they’ll find this portal,” Rashid said.

Rashid was one of those who launched the Business Matching Session, an event designed to match Sarawak and Sabah suppliers to a group of 25 product managers from the travel fraternity in Australia and New Zealand.

Also present were MAS Sydney Marketing and Media manager Julia Loong and Tourism Malaysia Sydney director Shahrin Moktar.