SIBU: Event organisers in Sarawak need not worry about funding when it comes to holding international conferences or seminars in Sibu.
This is because the state government will back them up should they have good ideas to attract global visitors to converge in the town previously known for its timber products, said Sarawak Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah (pix).
“Don’t worry too much about that. If you have good ideas, the state government will always be there for you,” he said.
He pointed out that Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg, who once held the tourism portfolio, had never said no when there was a request for funding for events that could promote tourism in the state.
Abdul Karim was speaking at Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak) Tribal Gathering here today, which witnessed the officiation of the Business Events Consortium of Sibu (BECos) and the launch of ‘I Want to Discover Sarawak’ contest.
BESarawak, a non-profit company established in 2006 by the state government to bring Sarawak to the forefront as a competitive destination for international meetings, affirmed its expansion of business event capabilities to other major towns in Sarawak with Sibu as its starting point.
The formation of BECos, which is chaired by former Sibu Rural District Council deputy chairman Robert Lau Hui Yew, will advocate Sibu’s abilities to host conferences, act as a catalyst for newfound conferences and capitalise on its current influence as an industry-based heavyweight within the region.
“It is a very promising destination for business events and tourism to merge, being a relatively new place for business events.
“We must realise this to raise awareness on Sibu and its capabilities to not just become the next business events destination but also the next place for tourism,” said Abdul Karim.
He urged BESarawak to have good networking with tourism industry players in Sibu to highlight the available tourism products as they play an important role in influencing the global community in deciding to come for a conference here. — Bernama
