DUBAI, Jan 4 — After receiving encouraging responses at the Expo 2020 Dubai, Malaysia’s Sarawak state plans to have constant activities to create awareness about the state in the Middle East this year.
Sarawak Tourism Board (STB)’s Marketing Director Mary Wan Mering said STB’s booth at the Malaysian Pavilion had received exciting requests for Sarawak to be included in tour packages from potential industry players in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), namely Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.
“Many have expressed their interest in Sarawak’s adventure and nature-based packages as they have shown great keenness for Sarawak’s lush rainforests and its abundance in national parks such as the UNESCO World Heritage Site Mulu National Park, home to the magnificent Pinnacles and the world’s largest cave chamber,” she said in a statement.
STB’s participation at WEEK 13 (Ecotourism Week) of Expo 2020 Dubai from Dec 26, 2021 to Jan 1, 2022 was aimed at penetrating the Middle East market, tapping the large population of expatriates living in the UAE who are mostly from Europe, United States, and other Asian countries.
Expo 2020 Dubai , the first to be held in the Middle East and the third largest global event in terms of economic and cultural impact after the Olympics and the World Cup, is held from Oct 1, 2021 until March 31, 2022 with 192 participating countries, attracting some 25 million visitors.
Originally scheduled in 2020 but postponed due to the pandemic, the organisers maintained the name “Expo 2020 Dubai” for marketing and branding purposes.
With the theme “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”, the expo is divided into three compelling districts – Mobility, Opportunity and Sustainability – that presented the diversity of culture, art, entertainment of different nations in the world in a futuristic approach.
Sources: BERNAMA