Close to 200 players from Sarawak’s tourism industry recently took a Responsible Tourism pledge, committing to reduce their environmental footprint, support local communities, and protect culture and heritage.
The pledge was taken during an industry briefing led by Sarawak Tourism Board (STB), which was held simultaneously in Kuching, Sibu and Miri. The session saw participation from government representatives, local tour operators, hoteliers, and healthcare service providers.
Puan Sharzede Datu Haji Salleh Askor, CEO of Sarawak Tourism Board says, “This pledge is a sign of our commitment and conviction to build a mindful mindset among industry players and visitors alike. We strongly believe that collective responsible tourism efforts will not only contribute to the wellbeing of our local communities and environment but also create meaningful experiences for travellers.”
The Responsible Tourism pledge focuses on 3Es – Environmental Protection, Empowering Communities through Education, and Economic Viability and Impact. These focus on SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and SDG17 (Partnership for the Goals)
In addition to declaring their commitment to responsible tourism, the industry briefing also discussed strategies and programmes for Sarawak in 2022, to achieve the target for visitors in 2022.
“The tourism industry will never be the same. Therefore, our efforts are not focused on going back to where we were. Instead, we want to build, create and imagine the new ways of business beyond Covid-19.”
“We foresee a gradual travel and tourism recovery by the end of 2021 and through 2022 thanks to the accelerated vaccine rollout across Malaysia and key markets in ASEAN region. For Sarawak, in addition to intelligent risk management within borders, we also have in place stringent standard operating procedures for tourists and industry players.”
STB was also recently named as the “One to Watch” by WTM Responsible Tourism Awards 2021 in the Destinations Building Back Better Post-Covid category. For more information about Sarawak, log on to Sarawak Tourism Board’s website: https://sarawaktourism.com.
