State Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah (standing centre) launching the Gateway to Borneo campaign at ITB Berlin.
KUCHING: Sarawak aims to position itself as the preferred destination for European tourists through its new Gateway to Borneo campaign.
State Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah launched the campaign at the ITB Berlin 2024 tourism trade fair on Tuesday (March 5).
The Sarawak Tourism Board said the campaign positioned Sarawak as the main gateway to Borneo, which also includes Sabah, Kalimantan and Brunei.
"Through this campaign, Sarawak aims to amplify its allure as a prime destination, inviting global travellers to embark on a journey of discovery and inspiration," it said in a statement.
Sarawak received 57,496 European travellers last year, an increase of 121% from the previous year.
The board said the Europe market's performance last year also showed a recovery of 81.5% compared to 2019, when the state recorded its highest number of European visitor arrivals.
"Sarawak is optimistic of surpassing 2019 levels in terms of European arrivals this year," it said.
The board also signed a renewed memorandum of understanding with German tour operator Tischler Reisen (TR) at ITB Berlin to raise Sarawak's profile among European travellers.
Under the partnership, TR will help promote Sarawak with offline and online tour packages through its network of 600 agencies across Germany.
