Through its participation in the recent Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2023 held in the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) hopes to increase the number of tourists from the Middle East region.

The Tourism Malaysia Pavilion was established during the four-day exhibition, which ended on Thursday.

In keeping with the three Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of the United Nations (UN)— Quality Education (SDG 4), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12), and Partnership for the Goals (SDG 17)—STB highlighted sustainable travel trends and developed growth plans within important vertical industries under the umbrella of the theme "Working Towards Net Zero."

The involvement of the board in ATM 2023, according to Deputy STB Chief Executive Officer (Integrated Marketing Communications Division) Suriya Charles Buas, is "a golden opportunity to put Sarawak at the top of visitors' minds in terms of ecotourism and responsible tourism in the Middle East."

I think Sarawak's uniqueness and attempts to follow the principles of "Responsible Tourism" serve as a fantastic selling point to position Sarawak as one of the top stopover destinations in Malaysia, he said.

In addition to promoting Sarawak's CANFF (culture, adventure, nature, food, and festival) attractions to tour operators, potential investors, and foreign tourists, STB stressed the promotion of the recently launched "Global Sia Sitok Vacation" (GSSV) packages and its signature event, the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF), which will take place from June 23 to 25 at Sarawak Cultural Village.

Through the GSSV promotion, non-Sarawakians and foreigners are invited to select from more than 140 vacation packages and use RM100 e-vouchers for orders above RM250.

The campaign, which will run until July 16th, promotes the usage of the "Enjoy Sarawak App," which is available for download from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Inbound and outbound tourism experts can take advantage of business prospects in the Middle East by attending the ATM, a prestigious international travel and tourism trade exhibition.

Travel industry leaders from around the world gather in Dubai to exhibit their brands alongside well-known airlines, cutting-edge travel technology providers, and promoters of well-known tourist destinations.

64 exhibitors, including hotels, destination management organizations, tour operators, and state tourist boards, were housed in the tourist Malaysia Pavilion at ATM 2023.