Abd Karim: Ministry has many tourism events in pipeline this year

Abdul Karim hoped that the Covid-19 pandemic would gradually fizzle out so that the state’s tourism industry can be resurrected. – Photo by Chimon Upon

KUCHING (Feb 11): The Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts has a number of tourism events in the pipeline this year as the country eases into full border reopening by next month.

Its minister Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said plans were underway to revive several key international events.

“We have so many tourism events in the pipeline such as Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF), Spartan Race, and Citrawarna Keluarga Malaysia at the end of this month.

“All those events that we had before the Covid-19 lockdown two years ago including conferences, we are going to revive them,” he told reporters when met after officiating at the grand opening of Attiya Spa and Massage (Attiya) at Milan Square here yesterday.

He hoped that the Covid-19 pandemic would gradually fizzle out so that the state’s tourism industry can be resurrected.

He said since the easing of travel restrictions last year, the number of visitors arriving in Sarawak had increased.

“In fact, visitors consisting of non-Sarawakians including Sabahans and expatriates working in the country, have shot up by more than 500 per cent in December last year compared to the same month in 2020.

“So we can see that things are getting back to normal,” he said.

Nevertheless, Abdul Karim said the people must not be complacent even with the easing of Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) and restrictions.

“We have to be very cautious because Covid-19 is still within our midst so if we are to move around, we must make sure that we still comply with all the SOPs,” he stressed.

from Borneo Post Online https://bit.ly/3Befc3Q
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