Biz events rake in RM645 million to Sarawak
Business events has contributed a greater impact in building our nation.The transfer of knowledge from experts to local champions, trade opportunities, expansion of global alliance – these are just some legacies of business events, which permeates so many sectors – medicine, education, technology, science, and other advanced industries. Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports
KUCHING: Sarawak's business events industry has accumulated more than RM645 million worth of economic value to the state, revealed Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
“Business events has contributed a greater impact in building our nation. The transfer of knowledge from experts to local champions, trade opportunities, expansion of global alliance – these are just some legacies of business events, which permeates so many sectors – medicine, education, technology, science, and other advanced industries,” Karim said in his welcoming remarks for the Business Events Tribe Meet 2018 (Tribe 2018) held here yesterday.
“Beyond this, the immediate economic value is lucrative,” he said, adding that to date, Sarawak has brought in a total of 750 business events – equivalent to 286,000 delegates and 958,000 delegate days – since the establishment of the Sarawak Convention Bureau (SCB).
He further highlighted that these business events translate to an economic value of more than RM645 million to Sarawak, generated by direct delegate expenditure alone.
For this year, the minister said Sarawak's progress for 2018 was right on track, having already attracted 30 business events this year.
“This amounts to RM34.6 million in direct delegate expenditure, welcoming close to 10,000 delegates who will be spending 34,000 delegate days in Sarawak,” he added.
Abdul Karim lauded SCB's efforts in empowering the business events industry by ‘communicating, educating, and awarding' as well as sector partners who have boosted the growth of the sector.
He also affirmed the ministry's committment to supporting SCB and its efforts in championing business events.
The Tribe 2018 yesterday was also graced by Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg who presented the 9th Anak Sarawak Awards as well as launched the BESarawak Alliance platform.
Also present during the event were Minister of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Dato Sri Hajjah Fatimah Abdullah, Assistant Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Lee Kim Shin, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land, and Regional Development Sarawak Datu Ik Pahon Joyik, DBKU mayor Datuk Abang Abdul Wahap Abang Julai, SCB chairman Tan Sri Dr Muhammad Leo Michael Toyad Abdullah, SCB chief operations officer Amelia Roziman, and management and representatives from various business events industry partners.
When asked about the impact of the shift to Sales and Services Tax (SST) 2.0 affecting tourist arrivals, Abdul Karim said he was not too worried about its impact from that aspect.
“We are promoting the state whether there is GST or there is SST,” he told reporters in a press conference after the launch. “It will have very minimal impact on tourist arrivals.
“Definitely, there might be some increase in prices of goods and services but when people come for holidays, they wouldn't be bothered by that. If people like the state, they will come for holidays regardless.”
He noted that for 2017, Sarawak registered 4.86 million in tourist arrivals. This year, up to June 2018, there has been an increase of about 16 per cent compared to the corresponding period last year.
“That is only from China and Singapore,” he said. “So, we can see that we are getting more tourists. We are hoping to reach a target of 5.2 million.”