MIRI: Sarawak is going all out using information technology (IT) to effectively promote the state’s tourism products to the world.
Assistant Minister for Tourism Datuk Lee Kim Shin said the digital way of promoting Sarawak was a faster means to reach out to the world community
“Using the Internet is the fastest way of promoting Sarawak. Gone are the days of promoting Sarawak using pamphlets, now we use digital marketing.
“Therefore, I urge hotels and tour operators to go digital and do their promotions online,” said Lee at the Miri Marriot Resort and Spa ‘Pre Chinese New Year dinner and Chinese Food Review’ recently.
Piasau assemblyman Datuk Sebastian Ting, newly elected president of Sarawak Journalists Association Andy Jong and the resort’s general manager Marc Cosyns and senior staff
including newly recruited chef Khoo Seng Keong who specialises in Chinese dishes, were also present.
Lee added that among the recent efforts to promote Sarawak digitally was a collaboration with the Ministry of Culture China and CCTV-4 (China Central Television channels) a 24-hour Chinese international channel.
He said Sarawak was now known better to the people in China and other world community following the recent documentaries produced by CCTV, during their two-week filming of Sarawak from
Kuching to Mulu in Miri, which was shown in China and worldwide.
Lee said the state could expect exponential exposure once the ‘Blue Tears’ movie, produced jointly with the Chinese authorities, was shown and also the entertainment programme with eight famous Chinese singers today (Jan 21) in Kuching.
He said each one of the eight famous Chinese singers had 2-3 million followers which would make ripple effects in promoting Sarawak.
“China is a niche market, we are working very hard to promote Sarawak which is not that well known in China. When I talked about Sarawak last year in China, even China’s senior tourism officials said they haven’t heard of Sarawak but Sabah, yes.
On Miri Marriot’s effort to promote Chinese food, Lee said the move was very timely.
“Miri Marriot, a five-star hotel with worldwide chain, will help to cater to the needs of tourists from different countries.
“It is also in line with our focus on tourists from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea and Japan,” said Lee who is also Assistant Minister for Land and Air Transportation.