ISTANBUL: Sarawak made waves on the international stage at the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Annual Summit 2025, held from April 21 to 23 in Istanbul, Türkiye, where Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) reaffirmed the state’s bold vision for sustainable, community-driven tourism.
With a strong emphasis on empowering indigenous communities and embracing digital innovation, Sarawak’s participation reflected its evolving role as a leader in eco-conscious travel within the Asia-Pacific region.
STB Chief Executive Officer, Sharzede Salleh Askor, shared that Sarawak recorded 4.83 million visitor arrivals in 2024 – a significant 23 per cent increase from the previous year.
“Buoyed by this momentum, Sarawak is now setting its sights on welcoming five million visitors by the end of 2025,” she said.
Sharzede attributed this upward trend to Sarawak’s commitment to offering immersive cultural experiences, nature-based tourism, and inclusive workforce development – all central pillars of the state’s Post-COVID Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030.
“Sarawak isn’t just building its tourism workforce for good times – we’re preparing them to navigate through storms,” she added.
Joining industry leaders from BWH Hotels and Capilano University, Sharzede outlined Sarawak’s proactive approach to equipping tourism players – from frontliners to rural communities – with future-ready digital skills.
She further highlighted Sarawak’s early strides in digital transformation – ranging from marketing strategies to grassroots training – which have positioned the state as both agile and inclusive in a rapidly evolving global travel landscape.
Throughout the summit, Sarawak’s delegation engaged in high-level dialogues and youth-focused forums, emphasising its commitment to nurturing the next generation of tourism leaders.
From the heart of Borneo to the global arena, Sarawak continues to champion a tourism model where sustainability, innovation, and indigenous leadership go hand in hand.
The message from Istanbul was clear: Sarawak is not only open for business – it is ready to lead.
