Categories
Malaysia Travel Guide

STB Celebrates CNY by Promoting Iconic Sarawak Animals

STB Celebrates CNY by Promoting Iconic Sarawak Animals

Kuching, Tuesday – Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) celebrates this Chinese New Year by promoting Sarawak’s iconic animal, the Bornean Bearded Pig.

Around 24% of Sarawak’s population are of Chinese descent, making the lunar New Year a big celebration throughout the state every year.

The use of the ang pau is a tradition celebrated by Chinese communities throughout Sarawak and the world, where the elders give red packets to children on the Lunar New Year for good fortune.

In more modern renditions of the red packet, the animal of the Chinese zodiac for that year is often featured on the front.

As the Visit Sarawak Campaign continues, STB used this opportunity to celebrate the local cultural tradition of celebrating the lunar New Year by printing red packets for their partners in tourism, as well as promoting Sarawak’s distinct nature, this year being the Bornean Bearded Pig.

Bako National Park’s Bornean Bearded Pig is one of the most popular animals in the park, second only to the proboscis monkey, it became the perfect option for the “red packet”.

The ang pau packets will be shared with STB’s tourism industry partners and visitors, as well as Tourism Malaysia offices in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan to promote Sarawak to the China market.

“For our Visit Sarawak Campaign, we are using every opportunity to highlight Sarawak’s unique features, in this case our rich Chinese culture as well as our unique endemic fauna, such as the bearded pig which can be found in Bako National Park,” said CEO of Sarawak Tourism Board, Sharzede Datu Haji Salleh Askor.

Visitors to Sarawak can find these red packets after January 21st at the Visitor Information Centre (VIC) in Kuching, Miri and Sibu.

The VICs are located at the Sarawak Tourism Complex at the Old Court House in Kuching, Lot 452 at Jalan Melayu in Miri, and at the Sibu Heritage Centre in Sibu.

STB has already expressed plans on continuing the use of indigenous animals in their Chinese New Year ang paus.

Bako National Park is Sarawak’s oldest and most visited national park, located a 45 minute drive and 15 minute boat ride away from Kuching city, with a population of endemic animals, with the bearded pig as one of them.

Share
Categories
Malaysia Travel Guide

CABOCUBA JAZZ Coming To Borneo Jazz

CABOCUBA JAZZ Coming To Borneo Jazz

KUCHING, Thursday – CaboCuba Jazz is coming to the Borneo Jazz Festival this May 12 to 13, at ParkCity Everly, Miri.

Based in the Netherlands, these eight musicians originate from Venezuela, Cape Verde, Colombia, Spain, Puerto Rica and Cuba, led by powerhouse Dina Medina, who won the “Best Female Singer of Cape Verde” in 2012.

Their CD “Rikeza y Valor” was nominated in four categories for the Latin Grammy Awards and was nominated four times at the Cabo Verde Music Awards in 2012, while the band itself has been touring the world and performing in the Havana Jazz Festival in 2014 and an Israel tour in 2016.

Their name describes it all – a fast-paced mash of Cuban and Cape Verde melodies and dance rhythms, seasoned with plenty of on-stage improvisations.

CaboCuba Jazz will be joined by bands from Japan, South Africa, Italy, USA, Taiwan and countries from around the world will be performing at the Festival.

The Festival will be expanding its musical outreach programme, where aspiring musicians can learn the basics of Jazz Keyboard from professional musicians, by introducing additional classes for percussions.

The Festival includes night performances with sitting and dancing areas and a wide lawn for night picnics surrounded by arts, crafts and food stalls.

Further information on tickets, outreach programmes and performers can be found at www.jazzborneo.com.

Borneo Jazz is organised by Sarawak Tourism, endorsed by Tourism Malaysia and is jointly supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Sarawak and partnering with Malaysia Airlines as the presenting sponsor.

Photo credit to Eric Van Nieuwland

Photo by Eric Van Nieuwland

Photo credit to Eric Van Nieuwland

Photo by Eric Van Nieuwland

Issued by:

Communications Unit
SARAWAK TOURISM
T: +6 082-423600  F: +6 082-416700
E: [email protected]

Share
Categories
Malaysia Travel Guide

Taiwan Charter Flights To Reconnect Business Friendship

Taiwan Charter Flights To Reconnect Business Friendship

Taipei, Taiwan, Saturday: –  The charter flight initiatives  between Taiwan and Sarawak  was hoped to open up more opportunities for tourists and businessmen to be reconnected  giving them mutual benefits, Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Tourism, Datuk Amar Abang Haji Johari Tun Openg said last night.

Speaking at an appreciation dinner for Taiwanese partners at a hotel here, he said the charter flight will be a bridge to facilitate more business, tourists’ arrivals and bonding among the people that have been separated for a long period of time.

“The people of Taiwan and Borneo shared their ancient ancestry but the large-scale Austronesian expansion that began around 5000–2500 BC where they migrated out from Taiwan and headed southeast to the rest of the Philippines and into the islands of the Celebes Sea, Borneo and Indonesia had separated us,” he added.

“It is time now to rekindle this ancestral lineage and I am pleased that our direction in the charter flight initiative  is in the right direction  to bring back and foster better relationship between Taiwanese and Sarawakians.” he enthused.

Expressing the hope for better connectivity between Taiwan and Sarawak, he assured that the Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) will continue its strategic direction and focus on building accessibility to facilitate exchange of the flow of tourists, visitors and the business community.

“I am pleased  that with this  direction and I hope  that the charter initiatives will continue to  move a step further  to be upgraded into schedule charter and eventually schedule flight in the near future,” he hoped.

“I would like to take this opportunity to encourage our partners in Taiwan to explore these potentials and to be mutually benefit from the initiatives,” he pointed out.

He thanked particularly the office of the Malaysian Friendship and Trade Centre under the leadership of Datuk Adeline Leong, who was also present and Tourism Malaysia office in Taipei for their continuous support in assisting the STB in the promotion of Sarawak in Taiwan.

He said that his Ministry and STB were committed in further expanding its tourism promotion in the region and particularly in Taiwan and he equally hoped that the local industry partners will be able to share the enthusiasm and to profit from the business ventures.

Datuk Amar Abang Johari later presented mementoes of appreciation to partners including to the General Manager of See Mark Travel Services, Mark Chen and the Managing Director of China Dragon Travel Services, Hsiao Kuo Kang.

Also present at the dinner were Datuk Amar Abang Johari’s wife, Datuk Amar Hajah Juma’ani Tuanku Haji Bujang, the Assistant Minister for Tourism, Datuk Lee Kim Shin, STB Chairman, Datuk Haji Abdul Wahab Aziz, the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Datu Ik Pahon Joyik and also the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Sarawak Tourism Board, Mary Wan Mering.

The Minister and his entourage left Taiwan for home later this afternoon after a successful four-day official visit.

taiwan-dinner-2016

Picture shows Datuk Amar Abang Johari (right) presenting an appreciation memento to Hsiao of China Dragon Travel Services. Also seen are Datuk Abdul Wahab (centre) and Datuk Lee.

Issued by:

Communications Unit
SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD
T: +6 082-423600  F: +6 082-416700 M: +6 019 858 9084
Email: [email protected]

Share
Categories
Malaysia Travel Guide

ABG JO In Taiwan To Source For Charter Flight Opportunities

ABG JO In Taiwan To Source For Charter Flight Opportunities

TAIPEI, Wednesday   Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Tourism, Datuk Amar Abang Haji Johari Tun Openg  arrived at Taoyuan International Airport here this afternoon with the hope to open up Sarawak skies to enable more Charter flight from Taiwan into the State.

While here, he will be witnessing the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Sarawak Tourism Board and the See Mark Travel Services (SMTS) on Friday morning to  enable SMTS to launch its charter services between Taipei and Kuching early next year.

In the afternoon, Datuk Amar Abang Johari, who is accompanied by his Assistant, Datuk Lee Kim Shin, will host a working luncheon with a local Taiwanese airline companies to discuss on charter proposals.

He will also have an opportunity to host dinner for more than 20 Taiwanese partner agents on Friday evening before leaving back to Kuching the next day.

 

Issued by:

Communications Unit
SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD
T: +6 082-423600  F: +6 082-416700 M: +6 019 8168400
Email: [email protected]

Share
Categories
Malaysia Travel Guide

Rainforest World Music Festival A Shining Example On World Stage

Rainforest World Music Festival A Shining Example On World Stage

RAINFOREST WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL A SHINING EXAMPLE ON WORLD STAGE

Kuching, Tuesday – Sarawak Tourism Board’s Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) took centre stage at the Asian MICE Forum (AMF) in Taipei earlier this September, where the event was presented in the forum as a leading international music event in Asia.

The RWMF was presented by Ms. Mary Wan Mering, acting Chief Executive Officer of the Board, in a panel discussion entitled “Gamification in Destination Marketing”.

The panel discussed the pertinence of using game dynamics in events and shared insights on how their events became ‘world-famous’.

‘Gamification’ has become the keyword in event planning as of late, as traditional one-way events are being abandoned by event-goers who consider two-way or interactive events such as the RWMF far superior.

“In a sense, we were years before our time, as we’ve been placing interactivity and inclusion as the core of the RWMF since 1998”. Mary Wan highlighted during her presentation to the crowd of 700 industry members.

The gamification of events has become the new tactic of event organisers to create a deeper connection and a fonder memory in participants, instilling in them a sense of ownership over the event.

“By involving the crowds in workshops and tutorials, they are not just attending an event, they are becoming a part of that event, and in doing so that event becomes a part of their identity. They will always return.” Mary Wan explained.

The impact of an interactive event goes further than just customer satisfaction, as it has also aided the RWMF in its main objective, which is cultural art and music appreciation, conservation and revival.

The RWMF has been voted as one of the top 25 World Music Festivals by Songlines Magazine for six years in a row and has achieved various international events and public relations awards over the past 19 years.

Other events which shared the panel were Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival in Tainan, Taiwan, listed as the third largest folk celebration in the world; the regionally famous Sapporo Snow Festival in Japan; and the attractive Chartres Festival of Light in France.

“Our home-grown event sat on par with events in Taiwan, Japan and France. We came come a long way from humble beginnings. We are overjoyed to see the RWMF getting the recognition it deserves.” Mary Wan stressed.

The AMF is an established international platform for Meetings, Incentives, Conference and Exhibitions (MICE) experts to discuss their industry challenges and solutions, with over 6000 attendees to date over the past 10 years.

Organised by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) and commissioned by the Bureau of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Economic Affairs.

Photo shows Mary Wan Mering with other presenters at Asian MICE Forum.

Photo shows Mary Wan Mering with other presenters at Asian MICE Forum.

Issued by:

Communications Unit
SARAWAK TOURISM BOARD
T: +6 082-423600  F: +6 082-416700
E: [email protected]
Date: 20 September 2016

Share