KUCHING: Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) and China’s Hebei Tourism Administration will collaborate on opening up more opportunities in tourism business in their respective state and province.
The two tourism agencies will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to realise the cooperation by September in preparation for the travel season latest by November.
The MoU will pave the way for joint marketing initiatives, charter flights between Sarawak and Hebei, exploring tourism business potential and joint tourism-related development.
State Assistant Tourism Minister Datuk Lee Kim Shin said the MOU would open up opportunities for Sarawak to tap into China’s fast-growing tourism market.
He also expected the MoU to help STB enter the lucrative China market by making Hebei the stepping stone into nearby second- and third-tier cities.
“We are currently working with Hong Kong Airlines to tap into the China markets, leveraging on their connectivity to more than 20 cities in China.
“This has created a great leap in our marketing direction, especially in north Asia,” he said.
Lee is currently leading a five-member tourism delegation to Hebei and Wuhan provinces to meet representatives of China’s leading travel agencies and airline charter companies.
On Tuesday, he met Hebei Tourism Administration vice-general director Gao Guo Ming and senior officials from Hebei Province Commission of Tourism Development, tour operators, Hebei Airport Management Holdings and Hebei Airlines.
He earlier met Tourism Malaysia’s Beijing office director Noran Ujang before proceeding to Boa Ding to meet with senior tourism officials from the Bao Ding Tourism Bureau on Monday.
On Wednesday, the Sarawak tourism delegation met the Wuhan Tourism Bureau before returning to Kuching on Friday.
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