KUCHING: Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah is of the view that Sarawak’s tourism industry may only start to recover in the second quarter of next year.
However, he emphasised that this depended on the development of Covid-19 as, at the moment, the pandemic was still ongoing.
“If the situation worsens, it may be even later before the industry recovers. The industry needs time before it can get back to normal,” he said in an exclusive interview on Tuesday.
Abdul Karim said the tourism industry required the cooperation of both government and private sectors.
The government was responsible for building a platform and managing connectivity while the private sector played a significant role in driving the industry.
“After the Covid-19 pandemic, I hope these stakeholders will be more creative and innovative in planning how to attract tourists by organising products and programmes.”
The minister said the stakeholders must think of innovative ways to market the state’s tourism products.
He encouraged tourism industry players to discuss their ideas with his ministry or the Sarawak Tourism Board (STB).
Abdul Karim said one of the key challenges with regard to the tourism sector’s recovery was the level of public confidence.
“If people are still not very confident and feel too apprehensive about travelling, this industry will not be able to flourish,” he explained, adding that this was a challenge faced not only here in Sarawak but all over the world as well.
He hoped after Covid-19 pandemic, people would have the confidence and courage to head out and explore once more.
