Abdul Karim (centre) seen with Liong (left) and Desmond during the press conference.
KUCHING: The city has been chosen as the venue for the Digital Tourism Forum 2018, which will take place next week on March 9, said Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
Participated by several ASEAN countries and China, he said that the forum is hosted by the Association of Chinese-ASEAN Entrepreneurs (ACEA) with the support of the ministry and Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) as a strategic partner.
“The main purpose of the forum is to highlight Sarawak as a tourist destination especially to our friends in ASEAN countries. It will be attended by delegations from Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar and Thailand as well as delegates from Australia and China themselves,” he said at a press conference today.
Abdul Karim also said that the ASEAN countries participating in the forum are rapidly developing Asean countries, whose population is economically strong and having increased purchasing power.
In addition, he said, the objective of the forum is for tourism industry players to share their views either from Sarawak or from the ASEAN countries involved.
During the press conference, he also revealed that the opening ceremony of the Digital Tourism Forum 2018 is expected to be officiated by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg on March 9.
Delegates to the forum will arrive in Kuching on March 7, and are expected to visit to the Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, the Chief Minister as well as a visit to the Digital Economy Hub.
Through the forum, ACEA hopes to reach a platform where all ASEAN countries and China are under one roof to explore cooperation opportunities in the travel industry as well as sharing opinions, experiences and ideas.
Also present during the press conference was ACEA vice president Michael Liong and Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports principal assistant secretary Desmond Douglas Jerukan.