Middle East conflict disrupts Sarawak tourism promotion overseas, says minister

KUCHING (March 5): The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has adversely affected efforts to promote and market Sarawak overseas, said State Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

He said flight disruptions linked to the situation had impacted Sarawak’s recent promotional activities, including its participation in a tourism event in Berlin.

From March 3 to 5, the Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) had planned to showcase the state’s tourism products at a dedicated pavilion in the German capital.

However, Abdul Karim said several delegates, including his deputy minister Datuk Sebastian Ting and STB chief executive officer Sharzede Salleh Askor, were forced to cancel their trips at the last minute due to flight cancellations.

“Many of those we sent there, whether travel agents or senior officials, were stranded and could not arrive because flights were affected. The flights used were via the Middle East,” he told a press conference here.

He added that although four travel agents managed to arrive in Berlin earlier and STB chairman Dato Dennis Ngau officiated the pavilion on March 4, the reduced representation had affected the state’s promotional efforts.

“You can see how it has adversely affected our effort to popularise and market Sarawak overseas,” he said.

Abdul Karim noted that the disruption was not limited to Sarawak, with other participants also affected, including Tourism Malaysia.

He cautioned that prolonged instability could have wider implications for Sarawak’s tourism sector, particularly as the state continues to attract significant numbers of visitors from Germany and other European markets, including the United Kingdom.

He added that the situation could also affect participation in upcoming events such as the Rainforest World Music Festival in June, as well as travel plans among Malaysians.

Abdul Karim said the government and relevant authorities are monitoring the situation involving Sarawakians stranded overseas.

Among those currently stranded is Sarawak-based Muay Thai fighter Johan “Jojo” Ghazali and his family, who were performing the umrah pilgrimage in Mecca.