Ting also pointed out the drop in visitors’ arrival in Sarawak from 4,662,419 in 2019 to 1,199,872 last year due to Covid-19 pandemic. – Bernama Photo
KUCHING (July 29): Visitor arrivals in Sarawak throughout the first half of this year had dropped by 93.26 per cent from the number recorded in the same corresponding period last year, said Assistant Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Sarawak Datuk Sebastian Ting.
For the period from January to June this year, the state registered 64,767 incoming visitors.
Ting also pointed out the drop in visitors’ arrival in Sarawak from 4,662,419 in 2019 to 1,199,872 last year due to Covid-19 pandemic.
This represented year-on-year decline of 74 per cent.
“The tourism receipt had declined by 75 per cent from 2019, to just RM2.88 billion in 2020, which is an estimated total loss of RM8.69 billion (from 2019),” he said at a press conference in Bangunan Baitulmakmur II in Petra Jaya yesterday, held after he chaired the first Sarawak Tourism Coordination Committee meeting for this year.
Ting said the latest United Nations (UN) World Tourism Organisation Panel of Experts Survey had shown a mixed outlook for 2021, where there would be a growing demand for open-air and nature-based tourism activities, with domestic tourism and ‘slow travel’ experience gaining interest.
“Looking further ahead, most experts do not see a return to pre-pandemic levels happening before 2023,” he added.
Nonetheless, Ting said both the federal and state governments had introduced over RM351 billion and RM4.5 billion worth of assistance, respectively, through the Prihatin Rakyat Economic Stimulus Package (Prihatin) and Sarawakku Sayang Special Assistance (BKSS), respectively.
“Apart from discounts on utilities and waiver of hotel licensing fees, assistance had been disbursed to licensed tour guides and park guides, licensed travel agents, licensed tourist vehicle drivers and licensed homestay operators in 2021.”
Ting said his ministry had rolled out short-term measures to support the recovery of the tourism sector, including building confidence to travel through stringent standard operating procedures (SOP), discounted travel incentives through ‘Sia Sitok Campaign’, visitor incentives packages and Online Ecosystem Fund.
Another pioneering programme would be the ‘Free Covid-19 Destination Programme’, set for launch in collaboration with the federal Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.
Other measures included supporting the hospitality industry by designating them as quarantine centres, incentives to encourage homegrown business events, continuous capacity building, virtual marketplace and carrying out research for the return of tourists.
Ting explained the Sia Sitok Sarawak Tour Package 1.0 had generated more than RM1.569 million in sales for 941 tour packages and 5,668 tourists.
The second version of the tour package was launched in March this year and a revenue of RM182.073 had been generated for 146 tour packages and for 1,014 tourists.
“We are also working with the hotel industry through Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) and Malaysian Budget Hotels Association (MyBHA) to launch ‘Sia Sitok Accommodation’ with 50-per cent discounted hotel accommodation, which would offer incentive package for hotel stays.”
He said Sia Sitok Accommodation would be launched once the situation had improved.