KUCHING: Tourism promotion should be treated as a continuous effort rather than confined to a single campaign year, says Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
The Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts said Malaysia should gradually move away from year-specific branding such as Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) and adopt a more consistent, long-term marketing approach.
“I am not questioning the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) or the federal government, but gradually, we need to distance ourselves from this concept.
“Indonesia left it behind long time ago with ‘Wonderful Indonesia’, and countries like Thailand and the Philippines do the same,” he told reporters after chairing the State Tourism Steering Committee meeting at the Sheraton Hotel here today (Apr 10).
Abdul Karim said tourism is a vital industry that requires year-round promotion, noting that limiting campaigns to a specific year could lead to inefficiencies.
“Every year should be Visit Malaysia Year. If we only have it for a specific year, what happens to all the promotional materials produced after that?” he said.
Despite global challenges, including tensions in the Middle East which are expected to result in a 20 to 30 per cent surcharge on airfares, he remains optimistic about Sarawak’s tourism performance.
“I am very positive that we can reach our target of five million visitors this year. When international travel is affected, we must activate domestic tourism – not just from Peninsular Malaysia or Sabah, but within Sarawak itself,” he said.
To sustain growth, Abdul Karim said the Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) and event organisers are rolling out various initiatives, including cultural festivals and tourism packages across all divisions to encourage visitor movement.
He added that feedback from industry players has also highlighted areas for improvement, including issues of littering at national parks and the need to refine the ministry’s grant disbursement process.
“These may seem like small matters, but we welcome such feedback so that we can continue to improve ourselves and the industry,” he said.
