Monday, July 02, 2012

Borneo Tourism Alliance to promote Borneo as unique tourism hub


KUCHING: In an effort to promote Borneo as a tourism hub to the world, Borneo Tourism Alliance (BTA) is hosting several events here in Sarawak, hyping on the state’s natural beauty and unique culture.

In a recent interview with The Borneo Post, BTA president Kho Sze Min highlighted the group’s efforts to promote Sarawak, Sabah, Brunei and Kalimantan on the global platform for tourism by leveraging on the ‘Borneo’ brand.

As a non-government organisation, the group was launched on Sept 11, 2011 to serve as a bridge between public and private sectors to bring in foreign direct investments particularly for the tourism industry in Borneo, particularly in the state of Sarawak.

“When foreigners take the opportunity to travel to this region, we hope they can come and experience the different cultures that Borneo has to offer,” Kho said during the interview.

“Sarawak, Sabah, Brunei and Kalimantan have a lot to offer in terms of natural beauty and unique culture. The food we eat; the clothes we wear; the things we do – a lot can be experienced and I believe that tourists would want to come and immerse in these unique opportunities.”

Kho highlighted that with these ventures, BTA also hoped to boost the economy by providing businesses to the local cottage and homestay industries, as well as Sarawakian food and beverage players.

BTA was set up after the Sarawak Economic Transformation Lab organised by the Performance Enhancement and Delivery Unit ( Pemandu), facilitated by Ministry of International Trade and Industry (Miti), supported by Ministry of Tourism Sarawak, Sarawak Tourism Board, Sarawak Economic Development Corporation and Tourism Malaysia.

Particularly, BTA works closely with Miti and its agencies to enrich and to bring development to both urban and rural community as well as to promote sustainable tourism in the wake of global warming.

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