South Korea’s Gangwon shows interest in golf tourism, S-MM2H, edu-tourism in Sarawak

KUCHING (July 28): Gangwon, South Korea has expressed interest in golf tourism, the Sarawak-Malaysia My Second Home (S-MM2H) programme, and edu-tourism for short-term English courses in Sarawak.

The South Korean province indicated this during the bilateral talks at the 18th East Asia Inter-Regional Tourism Federation (EATOF) General Assembly held in Tuv, Mongolia on Friday (July 26).

Leading the Sarawak delegation was Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah and his deputy Datuk Sebastian Ting Chiew Yew.

“The discussions with Gangwon highlighted on geotourism, bench-marking on Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 as Sarawak is the only region coming up with a strategic plan for sustainable growth, data-driven economic resilience, shared prosperity and eco-friendly development.

“The focus was on the three pillars of economic prosperity, social inclusivity and environmental sustainability,” said a press release today.

Gangwon also expressed its interest for participation in the Rainforest Youth Summit (RAYS).

The statement said an invitation to participate in RAYS will be extended to all EATOF member provinces.

The 18th EATOF General Assembly bilateral talks also involved delegations from Yogyakarta Special Region (Indonesia) and Tuv Province (Mongolia).

The bilateral talks with Yogyakarta focused on developing geotourism initiatives, promoting cultural exchange, knowledge sharing on geotourism and developing economic for local communities.

Similar talks with Tuv, Mongolia explored opportunities for collaboration and cooperation in joint tourism promotion, air connectivity among EATOF member provinces, and fostering a common understanding of cultural heritage and traditional sports tourism.

On Saturday (July 27), Abdul Karim presented on Sarawak tourism performance; development strategy; culture, adventure, nature, food and festivals (CANFF) and Sarawak’s achievement at the meeting under the theme of ‘Bridging Global and Local’.

At the Governors Conference, all governors of member provinces signed a Joint Declaration to foster cooperative governance with regional member provinces and global partners including the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and Green Destinations, to advance global tourism development and achieve sustainable development goals.

The declaration emphasises on the importance of collaborative efforts to enhance tourism experiences, preserve cultural heritage and support economic growth through sustainable practices.

The EATOF meeting serves as a platform for member regions to exchange ideas, share best practices and strengthen their partnerships in the tourism sector.

EATOF was established in 2000 in Gangwon with the membership of different provinces of East Asian countries.

The 10 EATOF members are Cebu province (the Philippines), Gangwon (South Korea), Jilin (China), Luang Prabang (Laos), Quang Ninh (Vietnam), Sarawak (Malaysia), Siem Reap (Cambodia), Tottori (Japan), Tuv (Mongolia) and Yogyakarta (Indonesia).