Tourism M’sia Sarawak celebrates success of ‘Rail Tourism’ programme
Tourism Malaysia Sarawak is celebrating the success of its ‘Rail Tourism’ programme, which is seen as a significant milestone in the organisation’s efforts of promoting tourism and cultural exchange between the peninsula and East Malaysia, says Tourism Malaysia Sarawak director Nurul Ain Mohammed Yunus.
Throughout the six-day programme, the participants had experienced a remarkable journey, travelling from Gemas (Negeri Sembilan) up to Dabong (Kelantan) by train, and exploring captivating destinations along the way.
“Our primary focus was to expose the people of Sarawak, particularly those from the media, to the experience of train travel and the potential tourist attractions at the key stops. We aimed to create a crosspromotion between Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia, with a particular emphasis on the East Coast.
“The Rail Tourism programme had exceeded our expectations in every aspect.
“The commitment and dedication of the team behind this endeavour have not gone unnoticed. I can say that I am quite happy with you guys’ commitment and the earnestness that you guys have shown,” she said when met for an interview here yesterday.
However, Nurul Ain said the agency would not be resting on their laurels as they would continue to actively seek ways to enhance the programme further.
“Of course, there’s always room for improvement. The feedback from the participants and partners would be invaluable in shaping future offerings and ensuring that such programme would continue to exceed expectations,” she pointed out.
Some 30 members of the media fraternity from Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia, as well as the Tourism Ministry’s officials took part in the Tourism Malaysia Sarawak’s ‘Berambeh Ke Lembah Klang and Pantai Timur’ familiarisation trip, which kicked off on Sept 9.
Adding on, Nurul Ain said Tourism Malaysia Sarawak would be setting its sights on an exciting venture for the upcoming year, envisioning a ‘Cruise Tourism Familiarisation Trip’ to further promote Malaysia’s diverse tourism offerings.
“I was thinking of organising a similar programme again in Kelantan, maybe for next year.
“We can use direct flights from Kuching to Kota Bharu, and promote them as a gateway to popular island destinations such as Pulau Perhentian,” she added.
Asked on plans to further promote tourism products in Sarawak to Peninsular Malaysia, Nurul Ain said their annual promotional programmes had been pivotal towards achieving this goal.
“One of our strategies has been the organisation of media familiarisation trips, where we select key locations and products in Sarawak and invite media personnel from Peninsular Malaysia.
“In the future, we intend to broaden our reach beyond Kuala Lumpur. Our invitations won’t be limited to media based in Kuala Lumpur alone, but will be extended to media outlets across Peninsular Malaysia. This will allow us to diversify our audience and create a more extensive network for promoting Sarawak,” she said.