Sarawak to host 3rd Southeast Asian Tourist Guides Conference 2026 in Sibu this Oct

KUCHING (March 27): Sarawak will host the 3rd Southeast Asian Tourist Guides Conference 2026 at the Kingwood Hotel in Sibu from Oct 13 to 15, bringing together about 1,000 delegates from across the region.

Organised by the Sarawak Tourist Guides Association (SkTGA) in collaboration with the Malaysian Tourist Guides Council and supported by Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak), the conference will be held in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2026.

The event aims to strengthen guiding standards, enhance regional collaboration and build a skilled, future-ready tourism workforce, following the success of the inaugural conference held in Kuching in 2024.

State Deputy Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak Datuk Snowdan Lawan said the state is targeting five million visitor arrivals by 2026, with emphasis on delivering quality tourism experiences.

“Tourist guides are storytellers, cultural ambassadors and the frontline of how our destination is understood and remembered,” he said when representing State Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah at a press conference here.

He added that developing a skilled tourism workforce is crucial to sustaining growth, in line with Sarawak’s Post Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030, which targets 7.5 per cent annual growth in visitor arrivals by 2030.

SkTGA honorary chairman Edwin Lim said the conference will address emerging industry challenges, including digital and artificial intelligence-driven travel tools, shifting visitor expectations and a shortage of qualified guides.

“The role of a tourist guide is becoming more demanding in a fast-changing, digital world,” he said, noting that the conference will strengthen regional networks and foster meaningful collaborations to elevate the profession.

Lim added that Sibu was selected as the host city to support inclusive tourism development and extend the benefits of tourism and business events beyond major urban centres.

BESarawak acting chief executive officer Jason Tan Chin Foo said the conference aligns with efforts to create long-term impact through business events and to position Sarawak as a leading destination for high-value tourism.

Delegates will participate in immersive outdoor learning experiences, including cultural exchanges that provide first-hand insights into community-based tourism.
The conference is expected to serve as a platform to address industry challenges while enhancing collaboration among tourism frontliners across Southeast Asia.

Present at the press conference were deputy permanent secretary to the State Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak Julen Alen; honorary chairman of the Kuala Lumpur Tourist Guides Association and representative of the Malaysian Tourist Guides Council, Kevin Fong; assistant honorary secretary-general of the Sarawak Tourism Federation, Awang Saifeluddin Awangku Karim; and honorary chairman of the Penang Tourist Guides Association, Clement Liang.

For more information, visit https://www.sktga.org/.