BY JACINTHA JOLENE & LAKESH KUMAR
KUCHING: The MATTA Fair Sarawak has made a strong return this year, featuring a record 102 booths — a notable increase from last year’s 82 — signalling growing interest from travel agencies and industry players.
Deputy Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Snowdan Lawan said the fair continues to serve as a key platform for securing the best travel deals, both domestically and internationally.
“Last year, they achieved sales exceeding RM9 million within two days and I hope that the amount will increase this year,” he told reporters after officiating at the travel fair held at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK), here today.
Snowdan was representing Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah at the event.
Regarding eco-tourism, Snowdan advised travel agencies to focus not only on city destinations but also on rural areas when designing their tour packages for tourists.
“That’s why we encourage them (travel agents) not to just focus on the city, but also on rural areas. For example, tourists want to experience life in a longhouse.
“Of course, they can visit the Sarawak Cultural Village, but that’s artificial. If they want real experience, they’ll need to visit the rural areas,” he added.
He pointed out that tourists, especially from Europe, prefer rural destinations, and travel agencies should offer packages that include these more remote areas, where authentic experiences can be found.
On the topic of medical tourism, Snowdan emphasized that it plays a significant role in contributing to the tourism industry, alongside sports tourism.
Meanwhile, MATTA Sarawak Chapter chairman Oscar Choo said the fair drew more than 13,000 visitors last year and expressed his hopes of exceeding that number for this year’s event.
To add more excitement this year, he also announced a new event called the MATTA Pickleball Grand Slam 2025, which will take place in Kuching this October.
The tournament is expected to attract over 1,300 pickleball players nationwide over a two-week period and a cash prize pool of RM100,000 to be won.
