Great view of Kuching City from Star Cineplex view point terrace including the new DUN building.
KUCHING: The state capital Kuching is listed among TripAdvisor’s Top 10 Destinations on the Rise for Asia, finishing above Kota Kinabalu and Georgetown, Penang.
These three cities are also the three destinations from Malaysia found among the Top 10, making Malaysia the only country with such a high representation.
Kuching is at eighth spot, Kota Kinabalu at ninth and George Town rounds it up at 10. The top destination for Asia is Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan (which also made it to fifth place on TripAdvisor’s World Top 10 destination list).
The awards recognise 43 destinations around the world selected by an algorithm primarily measured by year-over-year increase in positive TripAdvisor traveller review ratings for accommodations, restaurants and attractions, and increase in booking interest.
This is the fifth year of the awards and Travellers’ Choice Destinations on the Rise lists were also revealed for the United States, Europe and South America.
The awards described a trip to Kuching as an enriching experience for any visitor, with the many museums and attractions which offer insights into the local heritage and traditions.
It said more can be learnt about Sarawak’s main ethnic groups including the Iban, the Bidayuh and the Orang Ulu at the Sarawak Cultural Village, a living museum where staff live and work to preserve their heritage and cultural traditions.
The news of Kuching making it to the number eight spot in the Top 10 list went viral on social media yesterday.
Assistant Minister of Tourism Datuk Lee Kim Shin, when contacted for his immediate comments, believed this achievement will have a positive impact on increasing the number of tourist arrivals to Sarawak.
He said this news should be greeted with joy and pride by the state’s tourism industry.
“Of course, we are very happy with this recognition. Hopefully, we can pull in more tourists to Kuching in particular and Sarawak in general,” he said.
He added Sarawak is now working on getting flights from Taipei, Taiwan to Kuching next year.
“We are now focusing on attracting tourists from Asian countries like China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore,” he said.