Incentivised packages have proven an effective buffer in minimising event cancellations, says Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Sarawak and Minister of Youth and Sports Sarawak, Datuk Karim Rahman Hamzah. Photo Credit: Gettyimages
Over the next five years, Sarawak will focus on strengthening its
corporate meetings and incentive segment by 20 per cent, in a bid to
“multiply the economic impact of business events,” said Minister of
Tourism, Arts and Culture Sarawak and Minister of Youth and Sports
Sarawak, Datuk Karim Rahman Hamzah, at a meeting in Sibu last week.
While Sarawak's business events industry continues to grow (the
minister shared that MICE has contributed RM1.6 billion (approx. US$387
million) to the local economy since 2006), this has largely been driven
by association conventions.
Moving forward, however, the corporate meetings and incentives segment, will become a key focus for Business Events Sarawak.
As such, a slew of new planner incentives have been rolled out, as well as a new educational platform, known as Tribe Digital Campus, to up-skill local stakeholders.
Addressing the repercussions of Covid-19 on this year’s business
events, the minister added that “the incentivised packages have proven
to be the key solution in minimising cancellations with 95 per cent of
business events still ongoing and three cancelled”.
Sarawak has 88 confirmed business events from 2020 until 2022.