Abdul Karim, accompanied by Ting (his right) and Hii (second right), symbolically launching Business Events Sarawak’s Books Build Legacy corporate social responsibility programme at BCCK today. – Photo by Roystein Emmor
KUCHING (Oct 17): Some 145 events have been organised in the state under the ‘Tribe Legacy Sarawak’ campaign since 2020, said Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
He said this has generated an economic impact of RM385.5 million.
Abdul Karim further said this achievement resulted in a direct delegate expenditure of RM209.5 million into the economy and RM23.1 million in tax revenue collected as well as provided 30,594 job opportunities for Sarawakians.
“Since the reopening of events this year, I have spoken with many of you and I understand your challenges. I have nothing but admiration for your passion, courage and determination to keep pushing forward,” he said in his speech to industry partners attending the Business Events Sarawak (BES) Tribal Gathering Kuching 2022 at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) here on Monday.
‘Tribe Legacy Sarawak’ is a five-year marketing campaign launched in 2020 to showcase Sarawak as an ideal destination for business events while ‘Tribal Gathering Kuching 2022’ is part of the marketing campaign to share the state’s strategic and tactical plans of being an ideal business event destination to industry partners.
Abdul Karim said the campaign was also part of the state’s Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 and added the ministry and BES would always be ready to lend a hand to industry partners.
“We ask that you continue collaborating with Business Events Sarawak and be proactive players in promoting the ‘Tribe Legacy Sarawak’ campaign.”
During the event, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the ministry and Universiti Malaysia Sarawak’s University Sustainability Centre to work on data collection in promoting the state’s destination sustainability programme under the Global Destination Sustainability Index.
“Being a contributing sub-sector of PCDS 2030, this collaboration is fundamental in realising Sarawak’s potential to be a regional leader and preferred destination for sustainable business events and tourism in the Asean region,” Abdul Karim said.
BES also launched its statewide corporal social programme, ‘Books Build Legacy’, where they will donate books to the rural communities in support of educational development.
The ministry pledged to donate 500 books to support the programme.
Industry partners received their professional certificates in event, exhibition and congress planning during the event and also became certified members of the Travel Safe Alliance Malaysia.
Also present were the ministry’s deputy minister Datuk Sebastian Ting and permanent secretary Hii Chang Kee.