Sarawak boosts Thailand market presence at international tourism exhibition

KUCHING (Jan 26): Building on three consecutive years of presence in Thailand’s travel marketplace, the Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) continued its engagement at the Thai International Travel Fair (TITF) Bangkok 2026, held at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre (QSNCC) from Jan 22 to 25.

The participation reinforced Sarawak’s long-term commitment to the Thailand market in support of Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) 2026.

“Thailand continues to show positive year-on-year growth for Sarawak, reflecting the effectiveness of sustained engagement and collaborative promotional efforts,” STB said in a statement on Monday.

The board added that visitor arrivals from Thailand last year exceeded the previous year, highlighting the market’s growing importance within Sarawak’s Asean outreach.

STB chief executive officer Dr Sharzede Salleh Askor said Thailand is a market where Sarawak has built long-term visibility and trust.

“Our presence at TITF Bangkok 2026 reflects our focus on
deepening trade collaboration, strengthening Sarawak’s role as Malaysia’s Gateway to Borneo, and translating market confidence into measurable visitor growth as part of VMY 2026,” she said.

As part of the Malaysia Pavilion led by Tourism Malaysia, Sarawak’s participation supported Malaysia’s national tourism promotion efforts, aligned with Tourism Malaysia’s projected target of 43 million visitor arrivals under VMY 2026.

“The engagement forms part of Sarawak’s Edge Strategy, specifically the ‘Elevate’ pillar, to enhance international destination awareness, and ‘Diversify’, to strengthen Thailand as an emerging
market in Asean, complementing Sarawak’s traditional source markets of Indonesia and Singapore.

TITF Bangkok 2026 marked STB’s third participation in the fair, following previous engagements in Bangkok (2024) and Chiang Mai (2025), reflecting a deliberate, long-term strategy to build destination recognition, trade confidence, and consumer familiarity within the Thailand market.

Throughout the four-day fair, STB promoted Sarawak’s tourism offerings across culture, nature, and experiential travel, engaging Thai consumers while seeking regional and international travel inspiration.

The board also conducted networking and discussions with Thai travel agents, tour operators, airline partners and industry stakeholders, laying the groundwork for future collaborations, improved air connectivity, promotional initiatives and familiarisation programmes.

“As the only Borneo state from Malaysia participating at the fair, Sarawak was distinctly positioned within the Malaysia Pavilion as Malaysia’s Gateway to Borneo, offering Thai consumers and travel trade partners a focused introduction to the island’s rich cultural heritage, diverse natural landscapes, and authentic tourism offerings,” STB added.

STB noted that Sarawak’s continued presence at TITF reflects a broader strategy of consistent, multi-year market engagement, ensuring destination visibility is reinforced through repetition, trust-building and sustained messaging rather than one-off participation.

As VMY 2026 unfolds, STB said Sarawak remains committed to playing a meaningful role within the national tourism narrative, positioning itself not only as a destination to visit, but also as Malaysia’s Gateway to Borneo, offering immersive experiences rooted in culture, nature and authentic connection.