ITB Berlin News #3

03

ITB BERLIN:

WHEN QUALITY

COUNTS…

AS THE INDUSTRY GETS A

“RESET”, WHERE WILL THE

FUTURE LEAD US?

ITB BERLIN CONVENTION

Alain Dupeyras

Head of Regional

Development and

Tourism Division,

OECD

#13

#29

DESTINATION

SPOTLIGHT

ASIA

A tourism powerhouse

in 2019

SPECIAL FEATURE

LUXURY

GERMAN REGION

BAVARIA

#17

#38

EDITORIAL

Richard Barnes

Editor-in-Chief,

ITB Berlin News

Where is this all leading us?

As we work on this third “special edition” of

ITB Berlin News 2020, the global health and

financial crisis is paying a particularly heavy

toll on the tourism industry. But where is it

leading us, and what will change as a result of

the crisis?

As they say “in any crisis lies opportunity”,

so what will be the opportunities after this

one? One of the industry’s biggest bugbears

– overtourism – is suddenly no longer a

problem. Distribution is another question, in

which hotel operators and OTAs are finding

themselves at loggerheads about how this

situation should have been handled. Activity

has ground to a halt.

In the months and years “post Covid-19”, ITB

– in all its forms – will play a very major role

in pressing the “reset” button, and helping

the industry trace a new roadmap, thanks to

unprecedented thought leadership, bringing

the greatest minds of the industry together

through the ITB Berlin Convention. Indeed,

as we mentioned last week, this has already

been the case in the absence of the physical

event, thanks to the virtual event on ITB.com.

In future, the role of the show will be more

important than ever in this sense.

One thing is sure. When the crisis is over,

people will want to get back out into the world.

And ITB – the travel network – will be there to

help ensure they do it in the right way

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CONTENTS

#05 NEWS

#12 ITB BERLIN

CONVENTION

#14 RESPONSIBLE

TOURISM

#29 REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT

ASIA

#38 GERMAN REGIONS

BAVARIA

SPECIAL FEATURES

#17 LUXURY ACCOMMODATION

& TRAVEL

#25 CITY BREAKS

ITB BERLIN NEWS • THURSDAY 19 TH MARCH 2020 • 3

I NEWS I

TOUR PARTNER

GROUP

PRESENTS

IDEAS...

VIRTUALLY

The cancellation of ITB is not

stopping Tour Partner Group

from promoting new ideas.

The group is presenting its latest travel

ideas for the United Kingdom, Ireland

and the Nordics in virtual form during a

webinar, fielding questions concerning

their new brand presence.

ITB.com – a new

window to the world

Networking, industry news and the ITB

Virtual Convention available on an innovative

platform

With 300 employees in 6 offices, Tour

Partner Group, previously known as Hotels

& More, Irish Welcome Tours and Trans

Nordic Tours – claims to still provide

the same kind of personalised service as

before.

The B2B experts will be contacting their

clients shortly to arrange meetings and

bring travel trends into client’s offices.

Head of Sales Hinrika Busemann's webinar

on March 12 presented the new Tour

Partner Group brand and brochure tours,

as well as answer questions in connection

with the re-branding.

Despite its cancellation this year, ITB is offering

digital services 365 days a year by launching itb.com.

The show has thus established a completely new

networking platform for the world’s travel industry

on a website spanning a bridge between real-life

meetings and digital networking.

“In these very difficult times the

tourism industry needs ITB more

than ever”, said Dr Martin Buck,

Senior Vice President, Travel &

Logistics, Messe Berlin GmbH.

The ITB Virtual Convention

features leading speakers from

ITB looking at how the world’s

travel industry can harness

intelligent strategies to make sure

it remains future-proof even in a

challenging environment. In the

wake of the latest developments,

discussions on how the industry

can deal with the coronavirus

are playing a key role. Between 5

and 11 March 2020 viewers were

able to follow more than 20 live

streams and videos on itb.com.

Since, they have been made

available as videos on demand.

Recordings were done in a

specially equipped studio on the

Berlin Exhibition Grounds, from

which numerous sessions have

been streamed. Some speakers

also joined-in from remote

locations via Skype.

“By launching this new website,

we are establishing a key platform

and travel network which has no

parallel and which can be made

use of in every market around

the world. The aim is to ensure

business, content and networking

availability 365 days a year. This

underscores our year-round

leading international standing in

terms of the market and opinions

and consolidates the position of

our USPs, contacts and content”,

Dr Buck said.

NETWORKING

MADE EASY

The AI-based Travel Network

is a self-teaching system

which continually offers users

relevant travel industry contact

information. All registered

attendees at ITB Berlin 2020 are

able to access the Travel Network.

Even if you had not previously

planned to visit the show in Berlin,

it is possible to register. Travel

Network users can set up a profile,

match interests, be contacted

and can network. They can also

follow other users, exchange

contact details, chat and set up

appointments. “Virtual rooms”

are being made available online

where users can hold meetings

which they had scheduled prior

to ITB Berlin 2020. A video link

enables face-to-face meetings –

it is also possible to communicate

via an audio link only

“Our brand new 2021 idea-giver for

group and individual travel to the United

Kingdom, Ireland and the Nordics will

arrive in our customers' mailboxes next

week. If you would like to take an early look

at our new catalogue, check out our new

Tour Partner Group website or register

for our webinar,” commented Hinrika

Busemann

Hinrika

Busemann


I NEWS I

Selangor – determination and

positive attitude reign

The Malaysian state targets more European visitors from UK,

Germany and France

Tuan Azrul Shah

bin Mohamad

General Manager

of Tourism Selangor

The delegation from the State of Selangor continued its tourism

promotional pursuits in Berlin, despite the cancellation of

ITB Berlin 2020. We asked Tuan Azrul Shah bin Mohamad,

General Manager of Tourism Selangor what contributed to

such determination.

The European travel market made

up 7.5% out of the total tourist

arrivals to Selangor from

January to September 2019.

The top three countries

were the United Kingdom,

France and Germany.

Various international and

domestic promotional

initiatives have been

planned for execution

in 2020. The Berlin

promotional pursuit

from March 2-6

paved the way for the

acknowledgement

of Selangor in

the European

travel market, despite

the cancellation of ITB

Berlin 2020, through

arranged Businessto-business

(B2B) sessions

with local tour, travel and PR

agencies, and a Government-to-

Government (G2G) session with H.E.

Datin Sarah Albakri Devadason,

Ambassador of Malaysia to the Federal

Republic of Germany and Tourism

Malaysia officers in Berlin.

Can you elaborate on the promotional

initiatives pursued by Tourism

Selangor in 2020?

For the year 2020, the State of Selangor

will be involved in more than 10

established overseas travel trade fairs

and sales missions. For a closer-toheart

approach, Tourism Selangor

will be involved in a local Roadshow

to other States in Malaysia and

participate in local Travel Fairs,

Expos and Conventions to entice the

domestic market. Tourism Selangor

also focuses on mainstream media and

digital advertising local and overseas

with frequent media-buys, and other

advertising approaches such as

LED, stand-still Billboards and in-flight

advertising. Tourism Selangor has also

launched its brand-new and revamped

official website, Selangor.Travel which

boasts an interactive interface and

smooth user experience.

What is your vision for fostering the

tourism industry in Selangor?

The State of Selangor through

Tourism Selangor is committed

Selangor, just a stone’s throw from

Kuala Lumpur, boasts numerous

attractions, such as Batu Caves,

Kuala Selangor Fireflies, the

Royal Selangor manufacturing

plant, Bukit Melawati, Sekinchan,

Selangor Fruit Valley, Mah Meri

Cultural Village, Sunway Theme

Park, the “Sky Mirror”, and

Selangor River Flireflies.

Site of a Hindu temple and shrine,

Batu Caves attract thousands

of worshippers and tourists,

especially during the annual Hindu

festival, Thaipusam. Incorporated

with interior limestone formations

said to be around 400 million

years old, the temple is considered

an important religious landmark

by Hindus. Monkeys frolic around

the caves, and it is a popular spot

for rock climbing enthusiasts.

in strengthening the tourism industry

from its core by leveraging in distinctive

tourism segmentation such as

medical, golf, MICE and eco-tourism.

It is crucial to prepare the State

for the official Visit Selangor Year

2021 Campaign tailing down from the

Visit Malaysia Year 2020 Campaign.

The State has taken several measures

to enhance the tourism industry such

as the Selangor P3S Programme which

was implemented to encourage

tourism operators in Selangor to apply

for a proper licence to ensure a wellsupervised

operation on their end and

the safety of their visitors. The State has

also come out with a 5-year Tourism

Master Plan commences 2021

until 2026, mostly to support the

upcoming Visit Selangor Year 2021

Campaign initiatives.

SELANGOR – HOME TO

COUNTLESS ATTRACTIONS

Not far from here, visitors are

also able to get a look behind the

scenes at Royal Selangor, the

world’s foremost name in quality

pewter. The factory now features a

“first”, as visitors are able to make

their very own pewter objects,

using traditional tools, in the

“School of Hard Knocks.

Batu Caves


8 • ITB BERLIN NEWS • THURSDAY 19 TH MARCH 2020

www.itb-berlin-news.com

I NEWS I

NEW

IDeaS

The revenue management

software company IDeaS has

launched a new cloud-based

module to complements its

existing portfolio.

Bespoke Inc has

announced the official

launch of "Bebot", which

informs and assists

residents and travellers

about Covid-19.

Bespoke is described as the

“world's first AI-powered

chatbot developed specifically

for travellers”. The designated

chatbot can be easily accessed

by anyone at http://bit.ly/

coronavirus-bebot. Bebot

provides information on what's

happening with the virus,

prevention methods, what to do

when infected, updates on travel

bans and contact information for

government and health services.

"When the devastating

earthquake hit Japan on March 11,

2011, I was on the 20th floor of a

high-rise. Monitors started falling,

and as I hid under a desk, I tried

calling my mother but the phone

lines were down. Not knowing

what would happen next, this

became the longest 15 minutes

of my life," says Bespoke's CEO

Akemi Tsunagawa. "From my

personal experiences of that

disaster, I wanted to create a

service that could assist people

in the middle of any emergency. I

empathize with people's fears and

the need to receive immediate

and accurate information

wherever they are."

As the year began with the

Covid-19 pandemic, Bebot can

help to address the concerns

of residents and anxious

visitors. With Bebot, users

have immediate access to

critical information about the

coronavirus in English, Simplified

Chinese and Traditional Chinese

from any mobile device. Bebot

shares health and virus-specific

information, such as symptoms

to look out for, preventative

Bebot will provide information on what's

happening with the virus, prevention

methods, what to do if infected, updates

on travel bans and contact information

for government and health services.

AI Chatbot provides

assistance during

Coronavirus

measures to take and treatment

procedures. Additionally, Bebot

shares the latest news about

the outbreak, current statistical

information like transmission

rates and contact information to

government agencies.

Headquartered in Tokyo, Bespoke

Inc. describes itself as the world's

leading developer of multilingual

Artificial Intelligence solutions

serving the travel and tourism

industry. Bespoke provides

solutions to major airports, cities

and transport authorities to aid

in congestion management,

emergency communication

and driving in-market spend.

Bespoke's customers include

the Narita International Airport,

Sendai International Airport, the

Tokyo Metro, JR East's Tokyo

Station, the Mie Prefecture,

Holiday Inn and Sofitel Hotels &

Resorts

IDeaS, a SAS company, is a leading provider

of revenue management software and

services. The company delivers “revenue

science” to more than 13,000 clients in 140

countries. The company has now launched

its new “RevPlan” software package, a

cloud-based module built to complement

its flagship RMS products. The module is

designed to take the pain out of budgeting

and forecasting a hotel's total business,

including food and beverage outlets.

Until now, hotels have relied on manual

forecasting and data collection to plan

operations for their total business.

This error-prone, time-consuming

process leads to inefficient labour costs,

siloed decision-making and smaller profits.

Sanjay Nagalia, co-founder and

Chief Operating Officer, IDeaS,

said, "While others talk about the future

of hotel technology, for the past 30

years, IDeaS has invented it. Hoteliers

face many challenges when it comes to

the planning and budgeting of their total

business. Essential data is spread out

and isolated, the manual process is prone

to errors and non-rooms revenue is left on

the side-lines. That's why we developed

RevPlan, a budgeting and planning solution

built for and by hoteliers"

Sanjay Nagalia

Co-founder

and Chief Operating Officer,

IDeaS


I NEWS I

ADVERTORIAL

New brand

ambassador for

Fairmont

Discover MICE

opportunities

in Latvia

Riga, Latvia

With new hotels and venues opening every year, Latvia

is becoming an ever more attractive events destination:

easy to reach and with ample meeting space in pictureperfect

historical and natural surroundings.

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has

named film icon Susan Sarandon as

its new global brand ambassador.

The Oscar-winning actress will star

in a soon-to-be-launched global

brand campaign that will portray

the transformative power of travel,

connecting Fairmont's history

and majestic hotels with modern

sensibilities and the dreams of a

new generation of travellers.

Fairmont's links with the world of

cinema go back a long way. Fans of

the golden age of film might spot

Fairmont hotels in such movie

classics as North by Northwest,

River of No Return, Vertigo,

Breakfast at Tiffany's, and The

French Lieutenant's Woman. Ms.

Sarandon herself has appeared in

a number of films shot on-location

at Fairmont hotels, including Little

Women, The January Man and King

of Gypsies.

"Fairmont and Susan Sarandon

share a spirit of adventure, a passion

for thinking globally and acting

locally, and a history of turning

words into action," said Sharon

Cohen, Vice President, Fairmont

Hotels & Resorts. "We chose

Susan to represent the essence

of Fairmont - representing

a strength of character and

timeless sophistication."

The collaboration between Ms

Sarandon and the Fairmont brand

will focus on their shared values.

With Oscar, BAFTA, and SAG

awards, along with a filmography

of over 100 films, Ms Sarandon

continues to inspire audiences with

new work, including roles in The

Meddler, The Jesus Rolls and Ray

Donovan.

"It is a privilege to work with

Fairmont, a company for whose

values I have great respect and

whose extraordinary hotels are a joy

to experience," said Ms Sarandon.

"Together, we hope to convey a

sense of life as a grand journey

that we hope will be meaningful

and inspiring to guests and fans of

Fairmont around the world"

RIGA – CONVENIENT

TO REACH FROM

DESTINATIONS

WORLDWIDE

Riga - The Baltic's biggest airport

is directly connected to over 100

destination in Europe and it is

located only 1h from Stockholm,

2h 10min from Frankfurt, 2h

40min from London and Paris.

National airline Air Baltic has the

youngest jet fleet in Europe with

many routes served by the ultramodern

Airbus A220. Lufthansa,

SAS, Finnair and Turkish Airlines

are among the airlines connecting

Riga International Airport to

destinations worldwide.

Daily ferries connect Riga to

Stockholm, and comfortable buses

travel between Riga, Vilnius and

Tallinn on a near-hourly basis.

COMING SOON: Rail Baltica,

meanwhile, is a major infrastructure

project currently in the planning

stages, and will connect the Baltics

to the rest of Europe by high speed

railway.

FROM FAIRY-TALE

BALLROOMS TO

LEADING-EDGE

CONFERENCE SUITES

The Historic Centre of Riga – a

UNESCO World Heritage Site –

tells just part of the city’s story

with popular venues including

the House of Black Heads and

Latvian National Museum of

Art. Visitors are able to discover

Riga’s industrial heritage, wooden

architecture and markets on a city

rally, or choose a venue such as the

brand new Hanzas Perons, which

was once a railway loading station.

Riga is also close to beaches and

national parks should one wish to

add outdoor elements to an event

programme or be closer to nature

for the duration of a meeting

Susan

Sarandon

© Jonas Unger - CNW Group/Fairmont Hotels & Resorts


I ITB BERLIN CONVENTION I

Cities get

smart

Former UNWTO senior officer and

current advisor to the Secretary

General of the World Tourism Cities

Foundation, Esencan Terzibasoglu

was set to participate in an

important presentation at the ITB

Berlin Convention, entitled, “Better

City Life Through Smart Tourism”.

We asked Ms Terzibasoglu to tell us

a little more about what was to be

covered at the session.

The World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF)

has recently released the “Global Report on

Smart Tourism in Cities” sharing the results

of a comprehensive research on smart

tourism in urban destinations. The concept

of “smart tourism” is closely related to the

concept of “smart city”. “Smart tourism” has

gained significant momentum in destination

governance policies and management

strategies over more than a decade because

the tourism industry has been facing a

tremendous paradigm shift as regards

the behaviour of the traveller as well as the

structure of the supply chain.

What are the keys to becoming

a “smart urban tourism

destination”?

Context wise, one can say

that “smart cities” are those

which have developed smart

(intelligent) physical, social,

institutional and economic

infrastructure while ensuring

the centrality of citizens in a

sustainable environment. We

can also say that “smart urban

destinations” are those which

show the above-mentioned

characteristics and likewise,

which have also developed

efficient strategies to enhance

tourism competitiveness by deploying

their natural and cultural resources in a

sustainable manner and by creating innovative

products for the visitor. Within this context,

it is significant that smart urban destinations

should take the advantage of the fast changing

digital technology, smart devices and in the

meantime create strategic information and

knowledge by using smart tools and platforms

and share all this with the stakeholders for

better governance and management

Esencan

Terzibasoglu



I ITB BERLIN CONVENTION I

POLICY MAKERS NEED TO

WORK WITH INDUSTRY AND

COMMUNITIES TO (…) IMPLEMENT

A LONG-TERM AND SUSTAINABLE

VISION FOR THE FUTURE

Alain Dupeyras

Head of Regional Development

and Tourism Division, OECD

Tourism trends and policies 2020

OECD releases important new industry reports

A keynote panel at ITB was set to tackle “Re-thinking Tourism

Success: Managing Destinations for Sustainable Growth”,

with the release of a new OECD report entitled "Tourism

Trends and Policies 2020" .

In the absence of the keynote, we asked Alain Dupeyras,

Head of Regional Development and Tourism Division, OECD

to give us some details about the report.

The 2020 edition of OECD Tourism

Trends and Policies 2020 analyses

tourism performance and policy

trends across 51 OECD countries and

partner economies. It highlights the

need for coherent and comprehensive

approaches to tourism policy

making, and the significance of the

tourism economy, with data covering

domestic, inbound and outbound

tourism, enterprises and employment,

and internal tourism consumption.

The chapter on “Rethinking tourism

success for sustainable growth”

explores the economic, social and

environmental benefits and costs

associated with tourism growth,

and the need for policy makers and

industry to better understand the

potential implications for destinations

striving to achieve more sustainable

tourism growth. The analysis

highlights that for many countries,

regions and destinations, tourism

growth remains economically, socially

and environmentally unbalanced,

often as a result of rapid and

unplanned growth in visitor numbers.

A selection of key policy

considerations are highlighted to help

both established and new destinations

to strike a balance between the

benefits and costs associated with

tourism development and implement

a sustainable vision for the future.

For many destinations, tourism

remains unbalanced, and as a result,

policy makers need to work with

industry and communities to strike

a balance between the benefits

and costs associated with tourism

development and implement a longterm

and sustainable vision for the

future.

Do you have any examples of best

practices?

The report is a rich source of country

examples and best practices. In terms

of sustainability, the examples below

are some of the most recent and

innovative initiatives introduced in

OECD countries:

• Mainstreaming sustainability.

Built upon extensive stakeholder

consultation, Plan T – Master Plan for

Tourism defines sustainability in all

its facets as the overarching guiding

principle for tourism in Austria. While

Perspective 2030 provides a new

vision of Destination Holland with the

ambition that by 2030, every Dutch

citizen will benefit from tourism. In

order to build a loved, valuable and

liveable destination.

• Engaging the industry. The

Tourism Sustainability Commitment

initiative in New Zealand is an industry

led initiative established by Tourism

Industry Aotearoa, which aims to

ensure that every New Zealand

tourism business is committed

to sustainability by 2025 (www.

sustainabletourism.nz). Developed by

industry for industry, it has established

8 industry-level sustainability Goals

and 14 Commitments.

• Designing new tourism strategies.

Under Canada’s new tourism strategy,

Creating Middle Class Jobs: A Federal

Tourism Growth Strategy, two of the

three main pillars have a specific focus

on investment to support sustainable

growth, with one of the key objectives

being to grow international visitation

outside of gateway cities and the

country’s most iconic tourism

destinations, and beyond the summer

season

THE OECD WORKS

TO DELIVER

BENEFITS TO

PEOPLE, PLACES

AND BUSINESSES

THROUGH

TOURISM

While overall growth trends

in this dynamic sector are

positive – despite potential

short-term impacts due to an

uncertain economic outlook

and external shocks (such as

health scares and extreme

weather events) – governments

are increasingly developing

policies that seek to maximise

the economic, environmental

and social benefits that tourism

can provide.

Governments are currently

facing two critical issues

in terms of managing the

tourism sector: leveraging

the benefits of the digital

transformation, and the need to

implement sustainable tourism

policies. Both of these topics

are addressed as thematic

chapters in the current OECD

flagship publications, Tourism

Trends and Policies 2020, and

Rethinking tourism success for

sustainable growth


I RESPONSIBLE TOURISM I

ADVERTORIAL

Costa Rica

capitalises on

ecotourism

reputation

Lufthansa's new Boeing 777-9 aircraft will contribute to greater energy savings for the airline

New technologies

to reduce carbon

emissions in air

travel

María Amalia

Revelo Raventós

Minister for Tourism, Costa Rica

Over the next ten years, the Lufthansa Group is set to

receive a new fuel-efficient aircraft every two weeks on

average, with carbon emissions reduced by up to 25%

compared to previous models.

The group’s modern, efficient, and

standardised fleet covers various

market segments, as continuous

investments are made in

fundamental fleet modernisation.

Sustainability is a key factor in this

strategy.

Using aircraft of the most recent

generation is, says Lufthansa, the

best short-term lever for reducing

aviation emissions. Increasingly

fuel-efficient aircraft and a large

number of fuel efficiency programs

have already allowed the Lufthansa

Group to significantly reduce the

specific consumption of its fleet by

30% over the past 25 years.

On several occasions, the

Lufthansa Group has been a

“launch customer”, being the first

to introduce new aircraft that are

quieter and more fuel-efficient,

such as the Airbus A320neo for

Lufthansa in 2016 or the C Series

aircraft for SWISS. In the long-haul

segment, the Lufthansa Group has

also been emphasising climate

and environmental responsibility

for years by commissioning

new aircraft. The Airbus A350-

900, which Lufthansa has so far

operated exclusively from Munich,

is one of the most modern and

environmentally friendly long-haul

jets.

Lufthansa will be one of the first

airlines in the world to welcome a

further fleet addition in 2021: the

Boeing 777-9. The Lufthansa Group

has ordered a total of 20 of these

high-efficiency long-haul aircraft.

The two newly developed GE9X

engines and the extremely long and

narrowly curved wings, which are

largely made of carbon fibre, are

the main factors in increasing fuel

efficiency. The Boeing 777-9 also

provides a much wider cabin than

its predecessors. For the first time,

it will feature the new Business

Class, with direct aisle access for

every passenger

Acknowledged as pioneers in ecotourism, the Costa

Rica Ministry of Tourism is keen to capitalise on this

reputation with further growth in the industry, as María

Amalia Revelo Raventós, Minister for Tourism, Costa

Rica, explained to ITB Berlin News.

The latest figures from Instituto

Costarricense de Turismo (ICT)

show that in 2019 tourism grew

4.1% not least because more and

more travellers are demanding

sustainable travel to countries with

a high nature experience value. A

key growth zone in Costa Rica is

Guanacaste: with a total area of

9,529 sq km and more than 700km

of Pacific coastline from the border

with Nicaragua to the mouth of the

Rio Bongo, this region is home to a

significant portion of Costa Rica's

natural and cultural heritage.

What types of tourism are

booming at the moment?

Today’s affluent consumers are

global, digital and discerning.

Instead of "universal and

consistent" hotels, guests are now

seeking "unique and personal"

experiences. Costa Rica is known

for its abundant nature and wildlife

and has developed its reputation

as a year-round quality destination

for authentic travel experiences

– biodiverse, safe, and full of

potential for adventure.

The environmental campaign

launched by your President last

year is very ambitious. Can you

tell us more about it?

Costa Rica has set itself the

goal of being carbon neutral by

2050 and by 2016 was already

generating 99% of its electricity

from renewable energies. The

country wants to play the

investment card of the world and

highlight our enormous potential

as a multi-destination - especially

in sustainable tourism, where we

are already well-known, but also in

meeting and wellness tourism



I RESPONSIBLE TOURISM I

Games people play

Sustainable ways to explore France's Nouvelle-Aquitaine:

New app helps boost tourism to the region

The French region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine has developed a very

special kind of “treasure hunt” called "Terra Aventura", which

has rapidly won the hearts of many tourists. Michel Durrieu,

General Director, Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regional Tourism Board

tells to ITB Berlin News how this experience turned into a true

success for the entire region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine.

Terra Aventura is a tourism-related

treasure hunt game which is the largest

in the world in terms of participants.

In 2019, we passed the two-million

players' mark. The game stretches all

over the Nouvelle-Aquitaine territory.

THE PURPOSE OF

TERRA AVENTURA

IS TO ATTRACT

TOURISTS

TO VARIOUS

TERRITORIES WHERE

THEY WOULD NOT

HAVE VISITED

WITHOUT THIS

TREASURE HUNT

The app is free and can be downloaded

on mobile phones. Originally, the

game was created to develop tourism

off the beaten track, particularly to

promote upcountry destinations,

away from traditional coast and urban

destinations. It is a great way to be in

touch with our nature and of course

local populations in small communities.

Can you tell us about the way Terra

Aventura is organised? How many

circuits are available?

There are now over 400 itineraries,

which last on average between one

and two hours. In each itinerary,

participants need to find answers to

three to four questions. It is actually a

very fun way to learn about the visited

area with, at the end, participants

collecting a real treasure. On average,

our players will do up to five itineraries.

Is the hunt open to foreign visitors? If

so, how, and who can play?

Terra Aventura is also available for

foreign travellers. The app has been

translated in four languages beside

French. We now have versions in

English, German, Spanish and Dutch.

Families represent the largest number

of participants, approximately 72%.

28% are playing with friends or

individually. In this category, we find a

lot of passionate geocaching players.

Who was involved in developing the

app, and how does it work?

We are owners of the app. We developed

the itinerary in all territories, such

as Basque Land, Bordeaux, Poitiers

and the Futuroscope theme park, La

Rochelle and of course, Limoges, the

cradle of the game. We are glad to see

tourists to enjoy the diversity of our

region and attract people to areas

where they would not have visited

without this treasure hunt. This was the

main objective behind the launching of

Terra Aventura

Michel Durrieu

General Director,

Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regional

Tourism Board

BRIEFS

2 M

In 2017, Terra Aventura had 280,000

players. With more than 750,000 players in

2018 and two million in 2019, the number

could overpass the three-million mark in

2020 according to Michel Durrieu.

98% SATISFACTION

98 % of the participants declared to be satisfied of their experience

playing Terra Aventura in 2019.

91%

RETURN

RATE

91% of players indicate they will

come back to discover more of

Nouvelle-Aquitaine territories.

68% of participants say to have

taken into account Terra Aventura

for the choice of the destination

and 34% told that the game was

their principal factor of decision.


I SPECIAL FEATURE I LUXURY ACCOMMODATION & TRAVEL I

Marc Aeberhard

Luxury Hotel & Spa

Management Ltd

ACCOR’S

MONDRIAN

BRAND: KEY

NEW PROPERTY

OPENINGS

Having passed an historic milestone in the past

couple of months – with the opening of their

3,000 th property in Europe, Accor has also added

a new brand in Europe this year – Mondrian.

Luxury travel takes

on a new shine

with ITB

The luxury market last year reported strong

growth: according to a recent survey by

statista, luxury travel currently accounts for

14% of tourism sales worldwide, equivalent to

€750bn this year.

To this end, a new handbook

entitled Basic Information

and Perspectives on

Luxury Tourism - Customer

Behaviour - Paradigm

Shifts - Market Trends -

Best Practices has been

released examining the

phenomenon of luxury

tourism from numerous

perspectives, with a special

focus on the trends that

will dominate the luxury

market in the future, as well

as offering concrete advice

to luxury providers. Its

authors are the publisher

Prof. Roland Conrady,

Head of the ITB Berlin

Convention, David Ruetz,

Head of ITB Berlin and

Marc Aeberhard, Luxury

Hotel & Spa Management Ltd., all of whom are

involved with the ITB Berlin Convention.

In the handbook, numerous experts, including

leading scientists and senior executives, dwell

on topics ranging from developments in the

macro-environment of the tourism market, the

ACCORDING

TO A RECENT

SURVEY BY

STATISTA,

LUXURY TRAVEL

CURRENTLY

ACCOUNTS

FOR 14% OF

TOURISM SALES

WORLDWIDE,

EQUIVALENT

TO €750BN THIS

YEAR.

marketing management of luxury providers,

to mega tourism trends and their relevance

to the luxury market. Leading-edge examples

and case studies of the tourism market round

off this work, which is

a guide for practicians,

senior executives,

employees, tour operators,

students and trainees

in the tourism industry,

for whom it is intended

to serve as a manual for

tourism developments and

strategy concepts. The

luxury tourism handbook

is available in German

from Springer Fachmedien

Wiesbaden and was

scheduled be published

in English to coincide with

ITB Berlin 2020.

With its new Home of

Luxury by ITB - scheduled

for 2020, but now pushed

back to 2021, at the

Marshall Haus of Messe

Berlin, in partnership with

loop and Luxury Hotel & Spa Management

specialists will be provided with an exclusive

platform for this growing travel market for the

first time. As the name suggests, the "New

Home of Luxury Tourism" will be much more

than simply an exhibition area for the luxury

market. Stay tuned!

The new brand arrives with two properties in

France. First, with the Cannes Grand Hotel on

the Croisette and its reopening forecast for 2021.

The hotel will be comprised of 75 guestrooms

distributed on 11 floors, a restaurant and a bar

overlooking on a 4,000 m² private garden,

adjustable meeting rooms and a private beach in

front of the hotel. The private beach opening in

2020 will unveil the Lifestyle positioning of this

new and unique brand on the French Riviera.

Another property will arrive in Bordeaux. The

hotel, built around a 19th century building, will

be comprised of 97 guestrooms each ranging

between 25 and 50m² and spread over three

floors. This ambitious and elegant project will be

launched during a ground-breaking ceremony in

spring 2020 in the presence of all stakeholders

who contributed to this achievement.

For several years, the Accor group has been

accelerating the development of its upscale

brands, a sector in which it has been nurturing a

powerful ambition since the acquisition in 2016 of

the Fairmont, Raffles, and Swissôtel brands

© Christophe Finot

THE CROISETTE IN

CANNES, INCLUDING

THE GRAND HOTEL

- SOON TO BE A

MONDRIAN PROPERTY






Rwanda's eco-lodges:

a base for viewing

lions, leopards and

gorillas

One and Only

hotel and resort -

Rwanda

Rwanda's environmentally

friendly lodges and resorts are

attracting eco-tourists hoping

to meet mountain gorillas and

see the "big five" game animals.

A key selling point of the country's

accommodation is the opportunity to

enjoy what are described as world-class

wildlife experiences without having to

sacrifice creature comforts.

Akagera National Park, in the east of the

country is the largest protected wetland

in central Africa and has two off-grid

places for wildlife lovers to stay. In the

south of the park, Ruzizi Tented Lodge

gives travellers in private tents the chance

to enjoy the sounds of nature during the

nights. Magashi Camp in the north is a

luxurious lodge on a peninsula noted for

its concentration of wildlife. It is an ideal

spot for visitors hoping to see the big five

- lion, leopard, rhinoceros, Cape buffalo

and elephant.

Nyungwe National Park, the oldest

protected mountain rainforest in central

Africa, is in southern Rwanda. Here,

Nyungwe House has spa treatments and

yoga classes just a short distance from

areas where colobus monkeys swing

through the treetops.

There are few, if any, wildlife experiences

that equal a visit to endangered mountain

gorillas in their natural habitat, and

Volcanoes National Park has a dozen

gorilla families that can be seen daily.

In doing so, travellers are investing

in the animals' conservation and in

the communities that preserve these

creatures

Royal experiences

on offer at Taj Hotels

Guests at the Umaid

Bhawan Palace can

ride in a vintage car

accompanied by a Royal

butler.

Rising above the landscape in an extraordinary mix of

architectural styles, the Umaid Bhawan Palace near

the Indian city of Jodhpur is a hotel like few others.

Operated by Taj Hotels, it was built

in the first half of the twentieth

century as a royal palace and,

with 347 rooms, is among the 10

largest private residences in the

world.

The design by the Edwardian

architect Henry Lanchester

blends east and west, with the

105-foot cupola influenced by the

Renaissance, while the towers are

inspired by Rajput tradition.

Art Deco influences can be seen

in the gilt furniture and artwork of

the lavish interior.

The palace has much for guests

to enjoy, including the chance to

play on marbled squash courts,

have a game of billiards in the

panelled recreation room and

even drive through Jodhpur in a

vintage car - accompanied by a

royal butler.

Out-of-the-ordinary experiences

are also available at another

Taj Hotels property, the Taj

Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad,

which boasts Venetian

chandeliers, grand marble

staircases and Rajasthani and

Japanese gardens.

Visitors can join the palace

historian for a tour that includes

viewings of handmade tapestries,

royal portraits, inlaid furniture

from Kashmir and even crockery

from the Nizam's personal

collection.

After the tour, guests are taken to

the Jade Room to enjoy afternoon

tea.

Relaxation of a different kind is

available at the Royal Jive Spa,

which offers what is described as

holistic rejuvenation inspired by

Indian approaches to wellness.

As well as massages and beauty

routines, the spa has a menu

employing principles of Ayurvedic

cooking, with no additives or

preservatives


ADVERTORIAL


ALL AIMS TO INCREASE

FREQUENCY OF USAGE

AND STICKINESS AMONG

ITS LOYALTY MEMBERS

COMMUNITY, THROUGH DAILY

SERVICES AS WELL AS “MONEY

CAN’T BUY” EXPERIENCES

Maud Bailly

Chief Digital Officer, Accor

ALL- Accor Live Limitless

is now live

In this exclusive interview, Maud Bailly, CDO of Accor

explains the ALL-Accor Live Limitless ambitions

Maud Bailly began her

higher education at Ecole

Normale Supérieure,

where she studied Modern

Literature. She then obtained

a Master’s degree in Public

Administration from the

Institut d’Etudes Politiques

de Paris (Sciences Po) and is

also a graduate of the Ecole

Nationale d’Administration.

December 2019 saw the launch of ALL- Accor Live Limitless

(ALL). Speaking to ITB Berlin News, Maud Bailly, Chief Digital

Officer in charge of Digital, Distribution, Sales and Information

Systems at Accor, described this innovation in more details.

ALL is our new loyalty programme,

a daily lifestyle companion for our

members with one strong purpose:

to provide a new platform combining

rewards, services and experiences

across our entire Augmented

Hospitality ecosystem.

With ALL, Accor deploys its

innovative vision of the hotel

industry far beyond the night-stay

- you don't even have to spend a

night with us, let's enjoy a yoga

class, a great meal, or a co-working

session. By multiplying touchpoints

with our guests, thanks to a network

of nearly 5,000 hotels, 40 brands

and a constantly-enriched range of

services all around the world, ALL

aims to increase frequency of usage

and stickiness among its loyalty

members community, through daily

services as well as “money can’t

buy” experiences.

What can ALL members expect from

these experiences?

ALL means new services and new

personalised experiences, with an

exceptional quality of hospitality. In

addition to bookings and privileges,

members can benefit from over

60,000 tickets and private suites

at shows by music artists such as

Elton John, Lana Del Rey or Muse,

or exclusive food experiences at

international TASTE festivals. Sports

fans can get access to Rolland

Garros, the Ryder Cup or a Paris

Saint-Germain (PSG) football match.

Can you tell us more about this PSG

partnership?

ALL is the Principal Partner and

official jersey sponsor of the Paris

Saint-Germain team. ALL expands

the Elite Experiences to even more

exceptional moments and offers

meet-and-greets with players

of PSG Football Club, as well as VIP

tickets and experiences. Recently,

six members of ALL were chosen

to reveal the new PSG jersey.

Hailing from France, Guadeloupe,

Japan, Brazil, Canada and Rwanda,

these fans embody PSG’s growing

popularity around the world.

What are the benefits for Accor's

business customers?

ALL will redefine the way we

recognise our business travellers

and accompany them along the

course of their important business

trip. From personalised preferences

on the online booking tool, to a free

welcome drink on arrival and a tailored

stay, to accumulating points towards

experiences and rewards, everything

about the programme elevates the

experience and ensures dedicated

recognition.

In addition, members can enjoy

innovative opportunities to earn

points with partnerships in mobility

such as airlines and much more to

come in urban mobility

Previous work at the

SNCF led to her becoming

Director of Trains in 2014,

responsible for coordinating

the network and transforming

the professions of the SNCF’s

10,000 ticket collectors and

3,000 station agents. She

then joined French Prime

Minister Manuel Vall’s office

as Head of the economic

department responsible for

budget, fiscal, industrial and

digital affairs, before joining

Accor in 2017.

Maud is a member of

the French Digital Council

(CNNum) a 30-strong circle

nominated by the French

Minister of Digital to study

digital-related topics, with a

focus on stakes & perspective

of the digital transition of

French society, economy,

companies, organisations,

public action and territories.





ROMANCE AND

LUXURY IN

CROATIA

2019 was the busiest year ever

for Hilton Luxury Group, with the

opening of 11 new properties. We

asked Dino Michael, recently named

as Global Head, Waldorf Astoria

Hotels & Resorts and Conrad Hotels

& Resorts, to tell us more.

We’ve had some key openings this past year,

with Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal,

Waldorf Astoria Dubai International Financial

Centre and Waldorf Astoria Maldives

Ithaafushi, along with six Conrad openings

including Conrad New York Midtown, Conrad

Washington, DC and four more openings in

China. So, for us, 2019 has been an exceptional

year.

What is changing in the way you do business

and the way people perceive your properties?

The landscape is becoming very crowded with

a lot of great operators; a lot of competition.

It is always possible to build a great hotel, but

you need to get the software right, you need

to get the service right, and get the personal

Dino Michael

Global Head,

Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts

and Conrad Hotels & Resorts

Waldorf Astoria, LXR and

Conrad take bigger strides

With record new openings, the top-end

brands are driving Hilton to new highs

connection right. In luxury, technology lives to

make the stay easier, without friction, but that

human touch continues. We put a lot of focus

on culture, on development, on making sure our

team members understand the arriving guests

to offer an anticipatory yet graceful service

that is truly unrivalled. Each Waldorf Astoria

property has dedicated Personal Concierges

that work tirelessly to anticipate our guests’

needs to make their stay frictionless and highly

personalised.

Could you tell me a little more about your new

property in Mexico?

The new Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal

is situated on Cabo San Lucas’ most coveted

parcel of land – an extraordinary, 24-acre

site at the southernmost tip of Mexico’s Baja

California Peninsula. The conversion of Waldorf

Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal reflects Hilton

Luxury Group’s commitment to expand our

portfolio and bring our True Waldorf Service

to the world’s most sought-after and inspiring

destinations. Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos

Pedregal debuts as the premier offering in the

region, with an array of best-in-class facilities

and immersive experiences

Less than a year since its April 2019

opening, the Grand Park Hotel Rovinj

in Croatia has joined The Leading

Hotels of the World.

Rovinj, in Istria, is one of Croatia's most romantic

spots, and its physical beauty is exhilarating. The

pastel houses crammed onto a peninsula catch

the sunlight during the day and shimmer with

light at night. The Venetian bell tower of the St

Euphemia Cathedral extends like a punctuation

point to the sky.

The Grand Park Hotel Rovinj is part of the Maistra

hospitality group, which also includes the Monte

Mulini Hotel in Rovinj. Known for its exclusiveness,

the Monte Mulini Hotel became a member of the

LHW in 2012.

“The membership in The Leading Hotels of the

World, which is considered to be a guarantee

of quality for luxury hotels, is yet another

confirmation of the exceptional status the

Grand Park Hotel enjoys," said Tomislav Popović,

Maistra's CEO.

Worth the equivalent of about $100 million, the

hotel represents the largest single investment by

the tourism business subdivision of Adris Group,

which owns Maistra.

The hotel is is situated across from the old town of

Rovinj, with a view of the Church of St Euphemia

and the island of St Catherine.

There are 209 rooms and suites in the six-storey

venue, where guests can enjoy restaurants, bars, a

wellness and spa centre, and a plaza that includes

numerous shops

The Grand Park Hotel Rovinj's stunning pool view



La Réunion

Island redefines

the honeymoon

experience

© Patrick Giraud

LUX* ULTIMATE

CHIC AT NORTH

MALE ATOLL IN

THE MALDIVES

Looking for luxury for a

honeymoon? LUX* Resorts &

Hotels opened its newest boutique

hotel in the Maldives, the ultimate

in terms of luxury.

Historical centre of Saint-Denis de La Réunion with city hall

Contrary to many properties in the Maldives,

newly opened LUX* North Male Atoll is a

contemporary resort with a range of penthouse

villas and spectacularly designed spaces to

play, relax and retreat facing the blue of the

sea. The 67 double-storey residences evocate

art deco cruise liners in sparking-white colour.

Each residence is crowned with a magnificent

private Sky-Lounge. These high-life stages

enable inspired indoor-outdoor living and

a unique perspective on the planet’s flattest

country.

French island Ile de la Réunion in the Indian Ocean is

an original destination for honeymooners combining

romantic atmosphere, a pristine environment and

French style.

Only 200 km away from

Mauritius, La Réunion offers

a very different experience to

other islands in the area. La

Réunion has "only" 25 km of

beaches but it is known for its

majestic landscapes shaped

by the Piton de la Fournaise

volcano. Honeymooners

will be able to enjoy unique

experiences.

Tour operators can for example

organise a night under the stars

observing the Milky Way at Les

Hauts de l'île, a location where

billions of stars shine under

an intense clear sky. There is

even a possibility to visit the

Observatoire des Makes, the

astronomical observatory of La

Réunion Island, perched in the

Southern mountains.

Another highlight is the

discovery of the volcano heart of

the island with the unmissable

Piton de la Fournaise. Exploring

the volcano's coastline makes

travellers aware of the unique

landscapes of this mineral

territory where black basalt

stones contrast with the deep

blue of the ocean. Although they

are hiking routes, honeymooners

might better enjoy to fly over the

volcano with an helicopter and

embrace the landscapes.

A true piece of France in the

middle of the Indian Ocean,

there are plenty of romantic

places blending a tropical

atmosphere with French art

de vivre. St Denis, the regional

capital, is lined with parks,

beautiful creole mansions and

charming shops while many

boutique hotels or domains

provide a romantic atmosphere

for young couples.

And finally, there is Saint-Gilles

on the west coast, where La

Réunion turns again into a

tropical island with its beaches

lined with resorts. It includes the

island’s only five-star, LUX* Ile

de La Réunion, ideal to organise

a lavish dinner prepared by LUX*

Chef with creole specialties

using local ingredients such as

pineapple, vanilla, cheese or

duck foie gras marinated in local

rum

Cirque at Piton de la Fournaise, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

LUX* Resorts & Hotels rooms offer privacy on stilts

There’s a wealth of ways to relax. Beside the

intimacy of the resort, honeymooners will find

two swimming pools, a translucent overwater

LUX* Me Spa, world-renowned diving, water

sports, private yacht voyages, tennis and

beach volleyball courts - or dedicated spots

to practice tai chi, yoga or inspirational classes

and expert-led workshops. A popular activity

is learning coral planting - an integral part

of the resort’s environmental sustainability

programme.

Restaurants and bars offer creative world

cuisine including a curious blend of Japanese

and Peruvian cuisine. A favourite among guests

is a floating breakfast in the private swimming

pool of each residence.

The hotel is ideal for honeymooners with

special packages proposed until the end of

March to celebrate the recent opening of this

spectacular luxury property



ADVERTORIAL

I SPECIAL FEATURE I CITY BREAKS I

DURBAN’S

3 KEY

ASSETS

Durban gets

massive face-lift

Beachfront promenade is latest stage of this

dynamic and fascinating city’s makeover

The recent completion of

a R380m (€24m) beachfront

promenade upgrade

project in Durban has

resulted in the creation of

the longest uninterrupted

beachfront promenade in

Africa.

Durban is fast emerging as a

“not to be missed” destination in

Africa, surrounding visitors in the

mystical and exciting Zulu culture

and lifestyle, while being the

gateway to the Hluhluwe - Imfolozi

Park Wilderness Area, the oldest

proclaimed nature reserve in Africa

(officially opened in 1895). It has the

added “plus” of offering exceptional

sporting and adventure tourism

options. The city is also highly

renowned for its culture, with the

Inanda Heritage Route featuring

the home base of Mahatma Gandhi

before his return to India; Durban

being the place where Gandhi

developed his political views,

ethics and politics. In 1994, it was

also here that Nelson Mandela

cast his vote in South Africa’s first

democratic elections at Inanda’s

Ohlange Institute. Fitting, given

that the first president of the

African National Congress, Dr John

L. Dube, established this school in

1901.

The new seaside promenade is

part of the €2.2bn Point Waterfront

Development, which has seen a

series of major initiatives to revamp

the coastal strip to the stage of

eventually rivalling Copacabana

in Rio or Bondi in Sydney. Due for

completion in the next two years,

the final development will include

new luxury hotels, residential

apartments, office parks and retail

developments – and will also

see a new cruise ship terminal

constructed nearby, work on which

began in November 2019.

Over the past years, the Durban

beachfront has been attracting

major private sector investment,

with the hospitality giant Tsogo Sun

alone injecting more than R1.8bn

(€113m) into the area. This includes

a R1.5bn (€94m) expansion of its

popular Suncoast Casino complex

and a R220m (€13.8m) revamp of

the 734-room Elangeni & Maharani

Durban beachfront promenade

Hotel at North Beach. Incidentally,

sea views from this exceptional

property are simply breath-taking.

The new promenade in Durban

effectively links uShaka Marine

World with the area’s most popular

beaches, helping to attract tourists

and investors to the area. It is 30

metres wide and runs from uShaka

Marine World to Vetch’s Pier. On the

northern side of the promenade,

beach facilities and amenities

include change rooms, showers for

bathers and staff facilities. Also new

are an amphitheatre, pedestrian

ramps and new lifeguard towers.

Modern infrastructure around

Durban includes the King Shaka

international airport, which, built

in 2010 around 60km north of

the city to the strictest standards

of safety and comfort, ensures

smooth arrivals and departures for

passengers. The choice of hotels

and resorts in and around the city

is very broad, including top class

five-star seafront properties such

as the Oyster Box and Beverly Hills

Hotels

GATEWAY… to Africa’s first

reserve: the Hluhluwe - Imfolozi Park

Wilderness Area was Africa’s first

proclaimed nature reserve, second

in the world only to Yellowstone.

From Durban’s King Shaka airport,

it’s just a couple of hours’ drive to

the reserves, which, being privately

owned, have the added bonus of not

being overcrowded with tourists.

ZULU CULTURE

Durban is the capital of KwaZulu

Natal province, and remains the

beating heart of Zulu culture

and traditions. Many of the

cultures, customs, and traditions

of King Shaka’s time remain the

cornerstones of the Zulu people.

A PLACE THAT HAS

CHANGED THE

COURSE OF HISTORY

As the place where Gandhi formed

his key ideas and mission, Durban

was also the birthplace of the

African National Congress, and the

place where Nelson Mandela was

arrested… and then, many years

later, voted for the first time in free

elections.



ADVERTORIAL

What happens in

Vegas, only happens in Vegas

There are more reasons than ever to visit Las Vegas.

Whether you are a first-time visitor, or if you consider Las

Vegas a second home, you will be amazed by the incredible

developments rapidly taking shape. With more than

US$15bn of investment planned or under way, Las Vegas is

unmatched in its ability to create experiences that astound,

delight and can only happen in Vegas.

Las Vegas is known as the

Entertainment Capital of the World

for good reason. Cirque du Soleil

currently has seven shows that

perform up and down the Strip,

and on any given night you can see

Aerosmith, Lady Gaga, or Gwen

Stefani take the stage. This year, Las

Vegas welcomes new residencies

from Sting, The Jonas Brothers

and Kelly Clarkson. Entertainment

venues will see its next big evolution

when the MSG Sphere, the massive

17,000-seat circular venue, will debut

game-changing, state-of-the-art

audio and visual technology in 2021.

Las Vegas is quickly evolving as the

leading destination for sports. In

autumn 2020, the NFL’s Las Vegas

Raiders franchise will embark on

their inaugural season in the city

at the new 65,000-seat Allegiant

Stadium. The destination has

long been associated with highprofile

sporting events, including

championship boxing and UFC

matches and NASCAR, and there

is no better place for sports fans to

join in the excitement of cheering

on their favourite player or team.

Over the last few years, Las Vegas

became home to the NHL’s Vegas

Golden Knights, the United Soccer

League’s Las Vegas Lights FC, the

WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces and Minor

League Baseball’s Aviators.

Las Vegas is considered the gateway

to national parks in the west. By

helicopter, foot, boat or car, there

are several options to experience

the natural landscapes surrounding

the Las Vegas valley, including Grand

Canyon National Park, Red Rock

Canyon National Conservation Area,

Lake Mead National Recreation Area

and Valley of Fire State Park.

No trip to Vegas is complete without a

trip Downtown. Later this year, Circa

will open its doors. As the first resort

Downtown built from the ground up

in more than 30 years, it will feature

a three-story state of the art (world's

largest) sportsbook. The overhead

“Viva Vision” canopy at Fremont Street

Experience just made its debut in

December after receiving a $32 million

upgrade and now features 3D effects

and more than 16 million pixels.

Las Vegas isn’t just for the leisure visitor.

In 2019, 6.6 million travellers came

for a meeting or convention. Overall,

the destination encompasses nearly

12 million square feet (over a million

sq m) of meeting space and is home

to three of North America’s 10 largest

convention venues. The Las Vegas

Convention Center (LVCC) is currently

undergoing a large-scale expansion

that will add 1.4 million square feet

(130,000 sq m) to the campus and will

feature an underground high-speed

transportation system designed by

Elon Musk’s The Boring Company. The

expansion and underground system

will be complete in December 2020

3 KEY POINTS

CONNECTIVITY

With direct, non-stop connectivity

from Europe on British Airways,

Virgin, Eurowings, Condor, Edelweiss

and KLM, it’s never been more

convenient to visit Vegas.

HUGE LVCC

EXPANSION

+ 130,000 sq m

floor space.

ELON MUSK’S

UNDERGROUND

TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM

Autonomous vehicles will transport

convention attendees December

2020.




ADVERTORIAL

Salzburg

Festival marks

centenary

City

Spotlight

DUBROVNIK

History is alive in every part of this city- it represents a perfect

blend between the past and the present. Dubrovnik is a city for all

seasons. Its rich history, geographic location, mild climate, traditional

hospitality and excellence in tourism make Dubrovnik a recognised

high-quality product on the international tourism market. Dubrovnik

is also the city of festivals. And the city has been a popular filming

location in recent years, where The Game of Thrones, the Bollywood

film the Fan, Star Wars, and Robin Hood were filmed.

KEY

ATTRACTIONS

City Walls – The most

recognisable feature and the

main attraction which defines

the history of Dubrovnik

are its intact city walls with

six fortresses that offer an

unforgettable view over the city,

the island of Lokrum and the

open sea.

The Old City – a place for

pedestrians – on the UNESCO

world cultural heritage list since

1979.

Panoramic view of Dubrovnik

by cable car - the ride offers

breath taking views of the old

city of Dubrovnik, coastal sights

with islands and magnificent

sunsets.

KEY EVENTS

10 JULY –25 AUGUST 2020

71 th Dubrovnik Summer Festival

This festival, held since 1950,

is the largest and most

representative cultural

manifestation in Dubrovnik.

19 -25 OCTOBER 2020

Good Food Festival 2020

The 7 th Good Food Festival

organised by the Dubrovnik

Tourist Board brings

presentations of local culinary

specialties, tastings of regional

wines, workshops and special

gastronomic events.

DEC. 2020 – JANUARY 2021

Dubrovnik Winter Festival

The Dubrovnik Winter Festival

features magical lighting,

highlighting Dubrovnik’s timeless

beauty with special events,

entertainment programmes and

colourful cuisine with a touch of

tradition.

TRANSPORT

Dubrovnik airport is growing in

importance. Major European

cities are connected with

Dubrovnik directly, and via

Zagreb as well. Approximate air

distance from European capitals

is one to two hours.

During the summer months,

Dubrovnik is connected with

60 European destinations and

during winter months with seven

of them

Famous as the birthplace of Mozart, Salzburg has hosted

an annual summer festival of music and the performing

arts since 1920 - which makes 2020 an opportunity to

celebrate Salzburg Festival's 100th birthday.

With a state exhibition entitled

"Great World Theatre" at the

Austrian city's main museum

running from the spring, various

festivities and events will culminate

in an ambitious programme of 222

performances in 44 days at 15

different venues.

Founded in 696, Salzburg is the

fourth-largest city in Austria,

located on the site of the former

Roman settlement of Iuvavum. The

city’s historic centre is renowned

for its Baroque architecture and

is one of the best-preserved city

centres north of the Alps, with

27 churches. It was listed as

a UNESCO World Heritage Site in

1996.

“The entire city is a stage” is how

the founders of the Salzburg

Festival – Max Reinhardt, Hugo von

Hofmannsthal and Richard Strauss

– formulated their intentions a

century ago. Since then, it has

become one of the most important

festivals for the performing arts

worldwide. August 2020's operatic

highlights will include Mozart’s

'-"Don Giovanni" and "The Magic

Flute", Strauss’s "Electra" and

Mussorgsky’s "Boris Godunov"

while theatrically "Jedermann"

will once again be the focus of

attention – including Jedermann

Day on 22 August 2020, as a

tribute to the first performance

on that day in 1920. Musically, the

concert programme comprises 91

events with a thematic focus on

Ludwig van Beethoven, who would

have celebrated his 250th birthday

in 2020. Star performers will

include divas Anna Netrebko and

Cecilia Bartoli, conductors Mariss

Jansons and Teodor Currentzis as

well as renowned singers Ildar

Abdrazakov and Plácido Domingo.

A total of over 240,000 tickets will

be available for purchase online

from the end of March

Evening mood at the Siemens Festival Nights at Kapitelplatz


I REGION I ASIA I

ASIA

Asia - a tourism

powerhouse in 2019

UNWTO data show very strong performance

with South and Southeast Asia topping the list

With the coronavirus and ensuing economic

difficulties muddying the waters when it comes to any

projections, it is more useful to look at overall trends

to date, which can to some extent be extrapolated

for post-crisis planning.

In 2019, Chinese outbound

travel continued to fuel growth in

many destinations in the region

and outside, though Chinese

spending on travel abroad was

4% lower in real terms in the

first half of 2019 according to

available data.

South Asia (+8%) achieved,

together with South-East Asia,

the fastest growth among Asian

subregions though slower

than the 2018’s remarkable

performance (+19%). Maldives

recorded double-digit growth

capitalising on the increase in

visitors from the Chinese and

European markets. Nepal and

Bhutan continued to show strong

results with Chinese and Indian

visitors up. India, the subregion’s

largest destination, showed

comparatively more modest

levels in arrivals but strong

growth in receipts.

South-East Asia (+8%)

recorded robust growth in 2019,

with many destinations achieving

double-digit rates. Myanmar led

growth benefitting from a surge

in Chinese visitors thanks to visa

facilitation and enhanced air

connectivity. Cambodia, Laos,

Philippines, Timor-Leste and

Vietnam enjoyed solid results.

Among the larger destinations,

Malaysia continued to rebound

with an increase in numbersfrom

short- and medium-haul markets.

Thailand, the subregion’s largest

destination, showed slower

growth after several years of

solid performance partly due a

strong currency.

North-East Asia saw a 2%

increase in 2019, weighed down

by the decline in arrivals in

Hong Kong (China). The Special

Administrative Region of Hong

Kong suffered a sharp drop in

arrivals from mainland China

amid protests taking place during

the second half of the year. The

Republic of Korea led results

in North-East Asia, thanks to

increased visitors from China and

South-East Asian markets.

Japan’s inbound tourism grew

at a comparatively more moderate

pace through November following

several years of strong growth.

The destination welcomed more

visitors from top source markets

China, Hong Kong (China) and

Taiwan (province of China), but

suffered a sharp decline from the

Republic of Korea.

Arrivals in China, the regions’

largest destination, were up 7%

in the first half of 2019, though

receipts declined 12% in real

terms in the first half of 2019

PHOCUSWRIGHT:

APAC ONLINE

BOOKINGS STILL

ON THE RISE

According to Phocuswright’s Asia Pacific

Online Travel Overview 2019, the fact that

APAC’s hotel sector is quite fragmented,

this is a key driver for online agencies.

The report, written and researched by

Maggie Rauch and Deepak Jain, states

that tourism infrastructure improvements,

more advanced telecommunications and

digital payments access are all fuelling

travel booking growth, and the online share

of travel revenue is advancing quickly.

According to the report, the rapid offline

to online migration of hotel bookings in

China and Japan, coupled with mid-40%

online hotel penetration in those markets

underscores the remaining potential of the

segment. These two markets combined

will account for 74% of APAC online hotel

gross bookings. Accordingly, deceleration

in those markets will slow the overall

segment's growth through 2022


ADVERTORIAL

I REGION I ASIA I

Hard to decide where

to go in Asia?

Mah Meri "mask man"

SO MUCH TO DO

IN MALAYSIA 2020

Home to many world–class events,

Malaysia hosts Moto GP, Rainforest

Music Festival, LIMA Langkawi, Malaysian

Open House programmes, and many

others. For shopping experiences, areas

in Bukit Bintang, KLCC and Bangsar are

well-known shopping districts offering

everything from designer labels to local

made souvenirs. Duty-free shopping

is also available in Langkawi, Pangkor

and selected areas, promising a great

therapeutic experience.

Malaysia is also a well-known health

tourism destination, offering world-class

facilities with great expertise, plus valuefor-money

services.

Looking for more? A paradise for golfers,

there are more than 200 golf courses

around Malaysia, including the Els Club in

Desaru, Johor. For more family-oriented

indoor or outdoor adventures, make

your way to Lego Land, Sunway Lagoon,

Genting Highland, Escape Penang and

Desaru waterparks for a memorable

family holiday in Malaysia – Truly Asia.

Visit Malaysia (Truly Asia) 2020 makes the decision

much easier, with countless offers, activities and events

After last year’s official partner country status at ITB

Berlin, Malaysia is back with an even broader offer of

ideas and destinations for discerning travellers of all

kinds.

Malaysia goes one step further to

meet one’s needs for a holiday,

with pristine beaches and islands,

a rich tapestry of cultures and

history, well-preserved heritage

treasures, world-class modern

facilities, a fascinating collection

of flora and fauna, lush and wellmaintained

nature reserves, a

delightful array of mouth-watering

cuisine and a long list of shopping

hotspots.

The country’s population is an

amalgamation of varied ethnic

backgrounds, bringing together

an enchanting medley of cuisine,

crafts, traditions and architecture.

Malaysia’s diverse cultural heritage

is evident in their costumes, social

practices, recreational pursuits,

handicrafts, food, music and other

forms of entertainment.

The capital, Kuala Lumpur, is

undoubtedly one of Asia’s most

exciting and vibrant cities, not

to forget is historical origins.

Malaysia’s other key destinations

such as Melaka, Penang, Langkawi,

Kuching and Kota Kinabalu each

have their own unique charms.

Some hold UNESCO world heritage

status, such as Georgetown,

Melaka, Kinabalu, Gunung Mulu,

Bujang Valley and Langkawi.

Eco-tourism enthusiasts love

Malaysia for its abundance of

activities. For example, many areas

popular for birdwatching, jungle

trekking, white-water rafting,

mountain climbing, or fishing are

available 365 days a year.

For underwater enthusiasts,

Malaysia is blessed with many

marvellous marine parks, each

with excellent visibility with a

thriving underwater ecosystem.

Pulau Payar, Pulau Tiga Park,

Tunku Abdul Rahman Park and

Turtle Islands Park, Mabul, Layang-

Layang, Kapalai – are worldrenowned

dive sites and marine

parks. In Sarawak, there are “muck

diving” in Bum-Bum Island and

marine wonder Blue Hole in Darvel

Bay. On top of that is Sipadan in

Sabah is renowned as one of the

best diving spots in the world

Canopy walk in Taman Negara

NEWS

STARLUX AIRLINES

COMMENCES FLIGHTS

FROM TAIPEI TO PENANG

Direct flights between Penang

International Airport (PEN) and Taoyuan

International Airport (TPE) in Taipei,

Taiwan began this January, operated by

Airbus A321 Neo aircraft. This marks

an important initiative to boost travel

between Malaysia and Taiwan, enhancing

more tourist traffic between the two

destinations.

MALAYSIA 2020

CAMPAIGN WEBSITE

– A NEW DIGITAL

INITIATIVE

Tourism Malaysia’s VM2020 Website

Campaign can be accessed at vm2020.

malaysia.travel. YBhg. Datuk Musa Yusof,

Director General of Tourism Malaysia said,

"With an enhanced digital experience and

experiential content, we hope to entice

more international and local tourists

to visit the various destinations in our

country, in support of Visit Malaysia

2020."

The campaign aims to feed both the

international and domestic travellers

with valuable information on Malaysia’s

numerous tourist attractions, including

recommended destinations, ‘must-try’

meals, travel itineraries, and things to do

in Malaysia.


I REGION I ASIA I

Datuk Abdul Karim

Rahman Hamzah

Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture

cum Minister of Youth and Sport,

Sarawak

Tourism -

an essential pillar

of Sarawak’s economy

WE ARE BUILDING

CONNECTIVITY

AND ACCESSIBILITY

FOR WHAT

REMAINS FOR

MANY A TRULY

MYSTICAL

DESTINATION

Exclusive interview: Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Minister of

Tourism, Arts and Culture cum Minister of Youth and Sport, Sarawak

According to the “regional satellite account” of Sarawak

2018, tourism generated RM11bn (€2.43bn) – 7.5% of

Sarawak’s gross domestic product. We asked Minister

of Tourism, Arts and Culture cum Minister of Youth and

Sport, Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah to tell us

more.

In 2018, 240,000 people were

employed in Sarawak thanks to

the tourism industry: 19.1% of

Sarawak’s workforce.

Our focus is on culture, adventure,

nature, food & festivals (CANFF).

This also means tourist attractions

are not only focused on urban

areas but are extended to villages

and rural areas. In terms of road

connectivity, two projects will

be completed this year, in the

areas of Sibu and Kapit, opening

up new areas along the Rejang

River, where tourists will be able

to explore the exquisite nature of

these untouched rural areas. Then

there is the Bintulu – Sungai Asap

– Belaga link. Sungai Asap is a new

settlement and Belaga is a big

town in the area.

How is tourism infrastructure

evolving?

Sarawak’s State government

supports the upgrading of

infrastructure such as the Pan

Borneo Highway, Coastal Highway,

museums and sports arenas. We

are also dedicated to the upgrading

and development of the internet in

Sarawak to improve connectivity

for tourists, developing the

Sarawak Travel Application. We are

continuing to build connectivity by

seeking to attract new airlines and

routes into Sarawak’s key airports.

An unprecedented number of new

tourism projects are opening in

the coming months and years. The

2nd largest Museum in Southeast

Asia will open in Kuching at the

end of 2020. Then there are the

Sarawak Culture Museums, also in

2020; the Performing Arts Centre

– to be completed within 2 years;

the Santubong Archaeological and

Wildlife Centre, the Beautification

of Pangkalan Sapi, the upgrading of

waterfront facilities; construction

of a riverside walkway from Fort

Margherita to the Darul-Hana

Bridge; development of museums

in Limbang; Tusan beach facilities;

Sadong-Jaya mangrove tourism

– a sanctuary for birds to migrate

from Indo-China, with the gazetting

of the area as a National Park; at

the Niah Cave, there is extensive

upgrading of the walkway from the

river to the cave, along with the

addition of bungee track and trails;

and finally upgrading of Bako

National Park and Semenggoh

Nature Reserve’s facilities.

What if your “message” to travel

professionals from around the

world?

Our tourism products are very

exotic for visitors from Europe of

the Middle East, because most

have never seen “nature in the

raw” such as what can be found

in Sarawak. We are building

connectivity and accessibility

for what remains for many a

truly mystical destination, with

the focus on our “big five” -

culture, adventure, nature, food &

festivals

SARAWAK LAUNCHES

SMARTguide

As a valuable resource for travel

professionals around the world,

Sarawak Tourism Board has

commissioned a comprehensive

SMARTguide, which was completed

to coincide with the scheduled

opening of ITB Berlin. This guide aims

to be a veritable “decision-making

tool” for the travel professional,

delivering important destination

news and new ideas when it comes to

planning travel to this place. We are

sure you will find it to be extremely

valuable for all those in the travel

planning business.

Click on the image to read

the SMARTguide.



I REGION I ASIA I

New luxury vessel brings colonial

flavour to the Mekong river

ADVERTORIAL

In September 2020, the

cruise company Heritage

Line launches its first

ever vessel Anouvong

along the majestic

Mekong River in Laos.

This lesser-travelled stretch

of one of the world’s most

spectacular waterways is home

to serene nature, quaint villages

and stunning temples.

Anouvong has only eight

spacious staterooms and two

luxurious suites. All cabins

feature floor-to-ceiling windows

and open onto elegant French

balconies or private terraces

overlooking the verdant shores

of the Mekong River.

What makes Anouvong unique is

the blend of traditional Laotian

artwork with French-colonial

accents. From the intimate

onboard restaurant to the

refined setting of the lounge

which opens onto the expansive

terrace deck with panoramic

views, this design theme creates

an atmosphere of luxury and

savoir-vivre. Onboard amenities

also include a bar, lounge area

and a dining hall offering a

sophisticated cuisine.

Set at the stern of the ship,

Anouvong’s spa adds a

distinctive lifestyle element

for endless hours of blissful

relaxation.

The slow journey along the

timeless upper Mekong River

will let passengers explore

scenic riverscapes, ancient

Buddhist holy sites and the rich

cultural heritage of Laos starting

from the Thai-Lao border to the

enchanting former royal capital

of Luang Prabang

Vietnam extends visa

exemptions for eight countries

Vietnam’s government has announced the extension

of its 15-day visa exemption programme for citizens

of eight countries: Russia, Japan, Korea, Denmark,

Norway, Sweden, Finland and Belarus — until the

end of 2022.

The country already offered visa

exemptions to citizens of 24

countries, and e-Visas to citizens

of 80 countries. International

travellers can also visit the

Lang Co Lagoon

island of Phu Quoc visa-free for

up to 30 days.

In order to improve promotion

in Europe, Vietnam recently

© Christian Berg

Near Bagan, Mandalay, Myanmar

announced the opening of a

new tourism office in London.

Vietnam Tourism Advisory

Board (TAB) selected London as

the location for its first overseas

representative office, in a move

to bring the country’s tourism

assets closer to UK travellers,

assist with trip inspiration, and

encourage travellers to visit.

“There has never been a better

time to visit Vietnam,” said Mr.

Dinh Ngoc Duc, Director of

Marketing at Vietnam National

Administration of Tourism

(VNAT). “We’re confident

travellers from the UK will be

surprised by the wealth of

outstanding options here, and

will place Vietnam among their

favourite destinations in the

years to come”

Bangkok Airways flies to 22 destinations in Asia

EXPLORE THE

MIRACLE OF

INDOCHINA

WITH

BANGKOK

AIRWAYS

Thanks to Bangkok Airways' codeshare

agreements with 28 leading airlines,

passengers from around the world

can easily access not only well-known

destinations in Thailand, but also

in neighbouring countries such as

Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.

Travellers flying into this region can thus

experience the very best of Indochina

– from historical cultural heritage and

authentic lifestyle to white-sand beaches,

marvellous landscapes and vibrant cities:

CAMBODIA

Bangkok – Phnom Penh: 4 flights/day

Bangkok – Siem Reap: 4 flights/day

LAOS

Bangkok – Luang Prabang: 2 flights/day

MYANMAR

Bangkok – Yangon: 3 flights/day

Chiang Mai – Yangon: 1 flight/day

Bangkok – Mandalay: 1 flight/day

Chiang Mai – Mandalay: 4 flights/week

Bangkok – Nay Pyi Taw: 4 flights/week

VIETNAM

Bangkok – Danang: 1 flight/day


I REGION I ASIA I

Paradise Island JA Manafaru Maldives Transforms into All-Inclusive Resort

The Maldives –

celebrating (very)

different experiences

JA Manafaru

Maldives

transforms into

all-inclusive

resort

JA Manafaru Maldives has announced it is to become an

“all-Inclusive resort”, allowing guests to benefit from an

all-inclusive meal plan which offers a culinary journey of

seven restaurants and bars, complimentary experiences

and premium beverages from 11am-11pm.

The island is situated in the

magnificent lagoon-ringed Haa

Alifu Atoll at the northern tip of the

Maldives.

General Manager, Karen Merrick,

commented: "Once you set foot

on this paradise island, all your

worries fade away. We don't want

our guests to spend a moment

trying to add up costs in their head,

we want them to experience pure

escapism and a deep, mindful

connection with the stunning

natural surrounds. This is the

best value we've ever offered, so

even more guests will now get

the opportunity to experience JA

Manafaru."

Fringed with exquisite powder

beaches and crystal-clear waters

teeming with exotic marine life, the

chic hideaway features 84 luxurious

beachfront and over-water villas

and residences, each with their

own private plunge pool. Seven

scenic dining destinations provide

a wealth of options with traditional

Indian Ocean cuisine, international

fare and seafood feasts all

available on the All-Inclusive plan.

The signature restaurant - White

Orchid - sits in the middle of the

ocean treating guests to balmy

breezes as they indulge in awardwinning

Asian fare. Guests can also

enjoy a wide range of premium

beverages across multiple venues

including Horizon Lounge with its

ocean views, Andiamo Bistro and

Pool with its lush green backdrop

and Ocean Grill, beachfront dining

under the stars. Activities abound

for both adults and children with

a dive, water sports and excursion

centre and Marine Awareness

Centre to conserve local ecology

Abhijit Ghosh

General Manager,

Jumeirah Vittaveli

Jumeirah Vittaveli, on Bolifushi island in the Maldives

continues to surprise… now with – wait for it – an ice

skating rink. We asked General Manager Abhijit Ghosh to

tell us more about the innovations introduced at the resort

over the past year.

Indeed, we have successfully

introduced the first eco-friendly

artificial ice rink in the country, the

only place where you can do your

pirouettes in the open air, next to

the powder soft sand and Indian

ocean. When it comes to luxury,

the 3,500sqm 5-bedroom Royal

Residence offers the ultimate private

playground for the extraordinary

traveller – family reunions, wedding

celebrations, a friends’ getaway –

celebrate all this and more in your

own private hideaway including two

swimming pools, spa treatment

room, gym, as well as your very own

Teppanyaki-style restaurant.

Last year, we refurbished 16

overwater villas to include water

slides – offering guests the

opportunity to enter the magical

underwater world of the Maldives

in a whole new way! Late in 2019,

we launched the 85ft Azimut

superyacht MY Vittaveli, with 4

cabins. This yacht is our newest villa

category, inviting guests to explore

the Maldives wherever their fancy

might take them.

For this year, we plan to enhance

our butler services, introduce a new

Michelin star Chef series, together

with a host of visiting practitioners

at our Talise Spa. We will continue

our focus on our dining venues,

surprising guests with the launch

of new innovative concepts, and

plan to have an extraordinary new

guest experience – to be launched

in the second half of the year so I am

not able to reveal too many details

yet, but it will be an immersive

experience for all senses!

Jumeirah Vittaveli - MY Vittaveli at East shore with Spa


I REGION I ASIA I

Transforming Singapore’s leisure and tourism

industry through landmark master plan

First key milestone of plan to be completed by 2022, with Sentosa

Sensoryscape linking Resorts World Sentosa in the north to Sentosa’s beaches

in the south

Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC)

has unveiled exciting possibilities for Sentosa

and Pulau Brani as part of a landmark Master

Plan to redevelop the two islands into a gamechanging

leisure and tourism destination,

leveraging their unique island charm,

geographical qualities, as well as proximity to

the city.

Known as the Sentosa-

Brani Master Plan, the

comprehensive blueprint

will be rolled out in phases

over the next two to three

decades. It will see SDC

leveraging the islands’ ridgeto-reef

attributes to bring

in world-class attractions

as well as fresh and bold

night-time offerings,

while enhancing last-mile

transport connectivity

to and within the islands.

New spaces and concepts

that are authentic and

environmentally sustainable

will also be created –

including rejuvenated

beaches and expanded

nature and heritage trails.

The redeveloped islands will

feature five distinct zones

– each delivering unique

experiences, with the zones

progressively taking on a

more leisurely character as

guests travel farther from

the city into the islands:

Vibrant Cluster, Island Heart,

Waterfront, Ridgeline, and

Beachfront.

“Sentosa Sensoryscape

is the first project under

this Master Plan. It will

complement the expansion

of Resorts World Sentosa and

subsequent infrastructure

enhancements on Sentosa

and Pulau Brani,” said Senior

Minister of State for Trade

and Industry and Education,

Mr Chee Hong Tat.

The Master Plan will be

implemented in phases over

the coming decades, with

the first milestone project,

Sentosa Sensoryscape,

beginning construction

works in the fourth quarter

of 2019 and set to be

completed by 2022.

Located at the heart of

Sentosa island, the new

30,000sqm Sentosa

Sensoryscape, which is

approximately the size of

5.5 football fields, will link

Resorts World Sentosa in the

north to Sentosa’s beaches

in the south through a

multi-sensory experience,

replacing the existing

pedestrian thoroughfare

SENTOSA UNVEILS MAGICAL

SHORES AT SILOSO,

SINGAPORE’S FIRST BEACH

LIGHT ART ATTRACTION

Magical Shores at Siloso

Sentosa’s guests can now discover Siloso

Beach in a whole "new light" when it

transforms into the calming and captivating

Magical Shores at Siloso every night, since

23 January 2020.

Featuring vivid light, sound,

and mist effects across a

400-metre stretch of Siloso

Beach, Magical Shores at

Siloso leverages Sentosa’s

beach assets to bring two

islets to life, as well as

novel interactive areas

where guests immerse

themselves in soothing

sounds of the island and

interact with light art on

the sands. Senior Minister

of State for Trade and

Industry and Education,

Mr Chee Hong Tat, officially

opened the attraction this

evening.

Magical Shores at Siloso

is Singapore’s first multisensory,

interactive

beach light art attraction.

Comprising four acts,

the attraction offers an

experience unique to

Sentosa. Taking centre

stage are two islets across

the waters, which are

bathed in lights, dreamy

fog, and tranquil music

to transport guests to an

ethereal island. Watch

the trees come alive as a

relaxing light and sound

symphony accentuate the

raw beauty of the natural

landscape.

In another novel highlight,

guests can interact with

light art on the sands,

inspired by diverse

elements ranging from

water flow to marine

creatures



I REGION I ASIA I

Gujarat tourism up 14%

in 2019

Jenu Devan is Commissioner of Tourism for the

Government of Gujarat & Managing Director, Tourism

Corporation of Gujarat Limited. We asked him how

tourism is progressing in Gujarat.

The total tourist flow reached the

figure of 57.5 million in 2018-19

with a 14% rise as compared to

the previous year. We have tried to

put in our best to give international

travellers many reasons to visit

Gujarat and experience the best of

our hospitality.

The 182m tall “Statue of Unity” in

Gujarat has been featured by Time

magazine in its second annual list

of the 2019 World's greatest places,

a compilation of 100 new and

newly "noteworthy destinations

to experience right now". It is the

world's tallest statue, and is a

tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

Meanwhile, Ahmedabad has

been declared India’s first

World Heritage City by UNESCO

recognising its heritage value. The

city is known for its architectural

marvels of Pol structures and other

beautiful tourist locations.

What are your key aims when it

comes to promoting tourism for

your region?

We are currently targeting

international travellers in big way

with such amazing and variety of

tourism products. Besides Africa,

Gir in Gujarat is the only place in

the world where you can spot lions

roaming free in the wild. Recently,

India’s first dedicated Dinosaur

Museum and Fossil Park was

inaugurated at Raiyoli village near

Balasinor town. It is globally known

to be the third largest fossil site

and the second largest dinosaur

hatchery from where about 10,000

dinosaur eggs have been found.

Gujarat is not only the birth place

of Mohandas Gandhi, popularly

known as Mahatma Gandhi,

but has also been the site of

many important activities of

the much-revered Indian patriot

and politician. Today, the state

government has developed a

Gandhi Tourism Circuit that lets

tourists follow the life of Mahatma

Jenu Devan

Commissioner of Tourism,

Government of Gujarat & Managing

Director, Tourism Corporation of

Gujarat Limited


I SPOTLIGHT ON GERMAN REGION I BAVARIA I

TAUBER VALLEY: WHERE

CULTURE AND CULINARY

DELIGHTS MEET

The Tauber Valley region is

named after the river by the

same name and has a lot to offer

including biking and hiking paths,

several wine-growing areas, local

culinary delights and medieval

history and culture.

On foot, by bike or by train, there

are many options. The holiday

landscape offers 2,200km of

biking trails. The “Liebliches

Taubertal – Der Klassiker”,

from Rothenburg ob der Tauber

to Wertheim on the River Main,

is described as being one of the

most beautiful German cycle

trails.

For the less energetic, e-bikes are

available for hire at 12 locations

and re- charging is possible at

more than 80 stations

Barbara

Radomski

CEO, Bayern Tourismus

Marketing GmbH

Lakes and rivers

at heart of Bavaria’s

offering

Lakes and rivers are integral features

of the Bavarian countryside. They

offer the perfect conditions for various

leisure activities during the summer

holidays, including swimming, sailing

and canoeing or hiking and biking

along their banks. And yet when it

comes to main holiday destinations,

Bavaria is still only in third place in

the German-speaking region. We

want to counter this with our new

communication theme Holiday on the

Water and at the same time pick up on

the main interests of German holiday

makers. With a wide-ranging campaign

we will set the theme of water at the

heart of our marketing of Bavaria as

a travel destination and position the

state as the perfect destination for

main holidays of five days or more.

Here it is important to present in

detail the unique nature of the holiday

experience - namely the combination

of authentic traditions and festivals,

breathtaking scenery and regional

cuisine that is unique in Germany with

a holiday on or by the water.

According to travel analysis, we

have been the number one holiday

destination for German tourists for

several years. We want to reinforce

this position and generate additional

demand among domestic and foreign

visitors

NEW MUNICH ATTRACTION

ALLOWS VIRTUAL TIME

TRAVEL

A new attraction called TimeRide has opened in the

heart of Munich city centre, promising to provide

tourists with an immersive flight above Bavaria, and

through the rich history of its capital city,

Employing the latest Virtual

Reality (VR) technology and a

richly researched and designed

animated world, TimeRide takes

its visitors on a unique time

travel ride through over 7,000

years of history passing historical

landmarks from the first settlers

to the visionary projects of King

Ludwig II. In a peacock wagon – a

fictional aircraft invented by the

eccentric 19th century monarch

- visitors wearing VR headsets

become time travellers, meeting

Emperor Barbarossa as he calls

for the crusade, experiencing

the first ever train journey in

©TimeRide

Germany or witnessing the very

first Oktoberfest.

More than 21,500 buildings,

2.5 million trees and 80,000

people create a detailed virtual

world into which the visitor is

completely immersed. As well

as VR, sensory experiences

such as wind and motion help to

create an immersive simulation

of a ride through time, while the

whole journey is accompanied

by an original score, recorded by

a 60-piece orchestra. The tour is

designed for visitors of all ages

and takes about 45 minutes

King Ludwig II's peacock wagon is

one's vehicle for time-travelling



SMARTGUIDE

Sarawak: a new vision

Culture, adventure, nature, food and festivals…

in Malaysia’s largest state

INFORMATION

AND IDEAS

FOR TRAVEL

PROFESSIONALS

NEW TOURISM

STRATEGY

HOW SARAWAK

PLANS TO INCREASE

INTERNATIONAL TOURISM

LATEST NEWS:

INFRASTRUCTURE,

ORIGINAL PROMOTIONS,

NOVEL DESTINATION

IDEAS

CONTENT

EDITORIAL

#03 VISION

Reinvigorating tourism in Sarawak

Puan Sharzede Datu Hj Salleh Askor,

CEO, Sarawak Tourism Board

#04 FACTS & FIGURES

Sarawak works to boost international tourism

#05 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Tourism - an essential pillar of Sarawak’s economy

Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Minister

of Tourism, Arts and Culture cum Minister of

Youth and Sport, Sarawak

#06 TRADE TALK

Destination Sarawak – as seen by travel

professionals

Richard Barnes

Editor-in-Chief

Sarawak – an open

book for tourism

#07 THEMATIC TRAVEL

UP CLOSE AND

PERSONAL WITH

SARAWAKʼS

DIVERSE

CULTURAL ROOTS

SARAWAK

HOME TO

COUNTLESS

FESTIVALS

#20 MICE

MICE in Sarawak

#08

#21 TRANSPORT & INFRASTRUCTURE

#23 SARAWAK MAPS

#12

WHITE RAJAH

BROUGHT BACK

TO LIFE

#10

NEW ROLE

FOR

SEMENGGOH

#18

Destination Borneo, and more

particularly the Malaysian state

of Sarawak, evokes a number

of images for people today: a

wild land… the domain of the

orangutan… the numerous Dayak

indigenous cultures… virgin

rainforest… the extraordinary

history of Sarawak’s “White

Rajahs”. Indeed, Sarawak today

still has all of that, but also

boasts a tourism offering that

is evolving quickly, while seeing

the application of a strict policy

ensuring eco-responsibility and

sustainability.

One cannot say Sarawak has

everything. No, it doesn’t

have skyscrapers, it doesn’t

have multi-lane traffic jams, it

doesn’t have thick smog haze,

and it certainly doesn’t have

overtourism. Sarawak remains

very much an open book when

it comes to tourism, in a good

sense, as the state authorities

have been able to look at best

and worst-case scenarios in

other parts of Southeast Asia,

and plan accordingly to ensure

tourism in this state heads in the

right direction.

With a new CEO since late 2018, in

the person of Sharzede Datu HJ

Salleh Askor, Sarawak Tourism

Board is honing strategies for

promotion and infrastructure

improvement with a view to

developing international tourism.

This is being done in such a way

as to benefit local communities,

while delivering unforgettable

experiences – truly adding value

– through a new multi-pronged

plan covering culture, adventure,

nature, food and festivals

(CANFF).

This SMARTguide aims to be

a veritable “decision-making

tool” for the travel professional,

delivering important destination

news and new ideas when it

comes to planning travel to this

place. We are sure you will find

it to be extremely valuable for

all those in the travel planning

business.

Edition, produced by CLEVERDIS, 65 avenue Jules Cantini, Tour Méditerranée, 13006 Marseille, France - Tel: + 33 442 77 46 00 - info@cleverdis.com • www.cleverdis.com

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President & CEO: Gérard Lefebvre - Managing Director: Jean-François Pieri - Production Manager: Jean-Guy Bienfait - Editor-in-Chief: Richard Barnes -

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With the participation of: Bettina Badon, Benjamin Klene, Xiaojing Si, Jasdeep Singh, Veronika Verzhak

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the latter should not be used to professional or commercial ends. While all efforts have been made as to accuracy and pertinence of content and data contained in this publication, CLEVERDIS may in no case be held responsible for the consequences,

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2 SMART GUIDE www.sarawaktourism.com

Datuk Abdul Karim

Rahman Hamzah

Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture,

Youth and Sports, Sarawak

WE ARE SATISFIED

WITH THE POSITIVE

GROWTH OF VISITORS

TO SARAWAK LAST YEAR,

RECEIVING 231,498

MORE VISITOR

ARRIVALS COMPARED

TO 2018

Vision

Reinvigorating

tourism in Sarawak

Puan Sharzede Datu

Hj Salleh Askor

CEO – Sarawak Tourism Board

2020 is an encouraging year

for Sarawak Tourism Board

as we wet the Visit Sarawak

Campaign Phase Two into

action. We are satisfied with

the positive growth of visitors

to Sarawak last year, receiving

231,498 more visitor arrivals

compared to 2018 (2018:

4,430,921 & 2019: 4,662,419)

- a growth rate of +5.22%.

As part of this, we achieved

a significant rise in visitor

arrivals from the domestic

market, with a growth rate of

+11.3%. The Sarawak Tourism

Board is working on improving

our existing strategies and

plans. Having set the target

of five million visitor arrivals to

Sarawak, we are confident that

with the intensive marketing

and promotional campaigns

of Sarawak Tourism Board in

domestic markets and the

ASEAN region, this should be

achievable. We are working

on building collaboration with

airlines, enhancing our digital

platforms, and continuing

aggressive promotion and

marketing campaigns in all

our focus markets.

We are also seeking to grow the

long-haul market in addition

to the ASEAN market and

“border” tourism. As we know,

visitors from Europe, the USA,

and more locally, Australasia,

love our adventure offering,

our nature and culture, trying

the exotic food and having fun

at our festivals. One of the key

ways we’re developing the

long-haul market is through

a strong presence at major

trade shows around the world,

as well as through online and

print advertising.

Key issues and challenges

for us moving forward

are primarily based on

connectivity. We are working

hard to bring together

all industry players, from

Government, private and

public sectors. Moving into

this new decade, Sarawak

will, I am sure, see a major

transformation in terms of

air connectivity, and to this

end, we aim to encourage

more direct flight to Sarawak,

especially to the central

regions Sibu, Bintulu and

northern region, Miri. The

development of Sarawak’s

road networks will also be

an essential factor in the

development of tourism.

Digital marketing is also

becoming increasingly

important. We are

collaborating with industry

players to get more

involvement in digital

marketing, need to identify

the local operators, industry

players that are willing to

increase Digital marketing,

hence, moving to digital

footprint. Moreover the

Sarawak Government also has

a budget for digital marketing.

Our main pillars of Sarawak

as a tourist destination?

“CANFF”: Culture, Adventure,

Nature, Food and Festival

are the main pillars. All these

things combined make

Sarawak a destination that

is highly unique and can,

in themselves, help travel

professionals create an

unforgettable itinerary for

their clients

www.sarawaktourism.com

SMART GUIDE 3

FACTS & FIGURES

© 2019 Rob Allyn / STB

Outdoor activities

are a big driver for

tourism in Sarawak

Facts & figures

Sarawak works to boost international tourism

2020 sees Sarawak heavily promoting its

destinations to overseas source markets as

part of the ongoing Visit Sarawak campaign,

coupled with Visit Malaysia 2020.

The past year has seen 5.2%

growth in inbound travellers

to Sarawak, from 2018 to

2019, with an overall total

of 4,662,419 visitors in the

year. Around 2 m of these

are foreigners. To get a better

grasp of Sarawak’s inbound

figures, it is important to

note that a large part of

the international figures

quoted concern visitors from

neighbouring countries –

Brunei (1,296,017 visitors in

2019), Indonesia (418,461 in

2019), and the Philippines

(63,238 in 2019). A number

of these visits may thus

have been visits to family

and friends, or occasional

business visits, rather than for

leisure tourism. Unlike many

other countries, Sarawak’s

tourism infrastructure has

gone from almost zero in the

1970s, to what it is today. In

1972, total tourist numbers

for the entire state were

54,223.

An interesting market for

Sarawak today is Singapore

(traditionally a major source

market for all of Malaysia).

From 2018-19, the number

of visitors from Singapore

jumped by 7% from 43,734

to 46,812. Australia, another

major source market for

Sarawak, saw growth of 3.9%

in visitor numbers in the year

to 2019, with a total of 16,881

inbound travellers.

Over the past year, visitor

numbers from key source

markets in Europe, such as

the UK, France and Germany

remained relatively static,

with a drop of around 4% in

German visitors balanced

out by a similar increase in

visitors from France, while UK

visitors, which by far make

FROM

2010 TO 2019,

OVERALL

INBOUND

TOURIST

ARRIVALS

GREW BY 42%

up the lion’s share of the

European market, remained

stable at 32,194 in 2019.

As figures tend to vary country

by country from one year to

another, it is interesting to

look at broader trends over

the past (almost) decade.

From 2010 to 2019, overall

inbound tourist arrivals grew

by 42%, primarily buoyed

by a growth in domestic

travellers visiting the state.

Over that time, there has

also been remarkable growth

in Indian visitors – from

16,533 to 26,791 – a rise of

62%. Singaporean visitor

numbers were up by 21%,

Germans +11.45% and most

interestingly, the biggest

growth for a European

country came from France

with a rise of 64% over the

nine years, from 3,856 in

2010 to 6,325 in 2019. For

its part, South Korea saw the

biggest growth over the nine

years from 2010 to last year,

up by 103% from 5,327 in

2010 to 10,820 in 2019. Major

growth has also come from

Taiwan, up 47.7% to 10,004

visitors from 2010 to 2019


EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Datuk Abdul Karim

Rahman Hamzah

Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture

cum Minister of Youth and Sport,

Sarawak

WE ARE

BUILDING

CONNECTIVITY

AND

ACCESSIBILITY

FOR WHAT

REMAINS FOR

MANY A TRULY

MYSTICAL

DESTINATION

Tourism - an essential pillar

of Sarawak’s economy

Exclusive interview: Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Minister of

Tourism, Arts and Culture cum Minister of Youth and Sport, Sarawak

According to the “regional satellite account”

of Sarawak 2018, tourism generated RM11bn

(€2.43bn) – 7.5% of Sarawak’s gross domestic

product. We asked Minister of Tourism, Arts,

Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim

Rahman Hamzah to tell us more.

In 2018, 240,000 people were

employed in Sarawak thanks

to the tourism industry: 19.1%

of Sarawak’s workforce.

Our focus is on culture,

adventure, nature, food &

festivals (CANFF). This also

means tourist attractions are

not only focused on urban

areas but are extended to

villages and rural areas. In

terms of road connectivity,

two projects will be completed

this year, in the areas of

Sibu and Kapit, opening up

new areas along the Rejang

River, where tourists will be

able to explore the exquisite

nature of these untouched

rural areas. Then there is

the Bintulu – Sungai Asap –

Belaga link. Sungai Asap is a

new settlement and Belaga is

a big town in the area.

How is tourism infrastructure

evolving?

Sarawak’s State government

supports the upgrading of

infrastructure such as the

Pan Borneo Highway, Coastal

Highway, museums and

sports arenas. We are also

dedicated to the upgrading

and development of the

internet in Sarawak to improve

connectivity for tourists,

developing the Sarawak Travel

Application. We are continuing

to build connectivity by

seeking to attract new airlines

and routes into Sarawak’s key

airports.

An unprecedented number

of new tourism projects are

opening in the coming months

and years. The 2 nd largest

Museum in Southeast Asia

will open in Kuching at the end

of 2020. Then there are the

Sarawak Culture Museums,

also in 2020; the Performing

Arts Centre – to be completed

within 2 years; the Santubong

Archaeological and Wildlife

Centre, the Beautification

of Pangkalan Sapi, the

upgrading of waterfront

facilities; construction of a

riverside walkway from Fort

Margherita to the Darul-

Hana Bridge; development of

museums in Limbang; Tusan

beach facilities; Sadong-

Jaya mangrove tourism – a

sanctuary for birds to migrate

from Indo-China, with the

gazetting of the area as a

National Park; at the Niah

Cave, there is extensive

upgrading of the walkway from

the river to the cave, along

with the addition of bungee

track and trails; and finally

upgrading of Bako National

Park and Semenggoh Nature

Reserve’s facilities.

What if your “message” to

travel professionals from

around the world?

Our tourism products are

very exotic for visitors from

Europe and also the Middle

East, because most have

never seen “nature in the raw”

such as what can be found

in Sarawak. We are building

connectivity and accessibility

for what remains for many a

truly mystical destination,

with the focus on our “big five”

- culture, adventure, nature,

food & festivals


SMART GUIDE 5

TRADE TALK

Destination Sarawak

– as seen by travel professionals

Michael Metzner

CEO Tischler Reisen AG,

Germany

Gary Speldewinde

Director – Ecogreen Holidays,

Kuching, Sarawak

Philip Yong

Co-founder and Managing Director,

Borneo Adventure

OUTBOUND TO

SOUTHEAST ASIA

INBOUND TO SARAWAK

We are recognising a growing

trend towards individual quality

tours. Sustainability is becoming more

and more important. Also, tours

combining several different countries

or destinations are popular. An example

might be Singapore combined with a

nature and wildlife experience in

Sarawak/Borneo.

As a specialist for individual tailor-made

quality tours to Asia, Oriental countries

and Indian Ocean we are always

looking for untouched destinations off

the beaten track. Sarawak is truly one

of these natural gems and fits perfectly

in our portfolio. Private tours to the

National Parks including trekking tours

in the rainforest, wildlife observation

and experience of the great variety of

culture are just some of the highlights,

Sarawak has a lot to offer, and an

increasing number of our clients are

attracted to exploring the destination

every year.

Ecotourism is a major trend

today. People want to find

out more about the country, the

culture, the cuisine, and the

indigenous people; but to do this,

you need somebody in the field who

knows the ropes. We prefer to

organise tours where people

actually live in a village and stay with

the local inhabitants.

… We have just signed with a new

online portal in Europe: a site

launched at the end of February

2020. They focus on ethnic tribes

of different countries. With them,

we are developing tours of up to 12

days, learning about the lifestyle

of the local communities. There is

so much to learn that it would be

impossible to do so in one’s entire

lifetime, but with a tour like this,

people can really see a lot!

Sarawak exceeds expectations.

On the surface, we could

advertise about culture, nature and

adventure, but there is a whole lot

more than that. There’s food, there are

festivals, there is an incredible variety,

and the layering of so many things,

and that is a bonus. I think we do have

some stunning places. Kuching still

has a bit of an old city laid-back charm;

Mulu is spectacular… it always takes

my breath away.

There are a variety of things people

can do. For example, we can take

people to see Orangutans in the wild.

Not many people have done that. You

can see them in the zoo. But there

are probably less than ten thousand

people who have seen Orangutans in

their natural habitat in Sarawak. There

is something for everyone – families,

adventure travellers or couples.


CULTURE

Southeast Asia’s new

cultural highpoint

Malaysia’s biggest, most spectacular new

museum set to open in Kuching in 2020

It’s set to become the “shining star” of Malaysia’s, and indeed the

entire region’s cultural scene. Sarawak’s new state museum in

Kuching – Malaysia’s biggest, the second biggest in Southeast

Asia – will open to the public later this year.

The new museum and annexe are part

of the Sarawak Museum campus, which

also includes the old Sarawak Museum,

the Natural History Museum, and the Art

Museum.

The new 30,000 sq m building will ensure

that the Sarawak heritage, in the form of

a wide array of collections, is safely and

securely stored, preserved, documented,

researched and well exhibited,

according to the latest standards by the

International Council of Museums.

The new five-storey building will have

exhibition spaces on Levels 2 through 5,

on two wings flanking a central atrium.

Level 1 will house commercial lots, a café,

function rooms and auditorium spaces,

supporting and complementing the

exhibition gallery.

The main building is connected to a threestorey

annexe, housing the museum’s

offices, conservation and research

spaces, library and archives, while the

entire basement level is a dedicated

storage area.

The property has been under construction

since 2014, at a cost of around €70 m. It

is Malaysia’s first museum to be Green

Building Index (GBI) certified. Ecofriendly

building materials include timber

products certified by the Programme for

the Endorsement of Forest Certification

(PEFC) for the floors and interior wall

panels. Following the demolition of the

Dewan Tun Abdul Razak building to make

way for the new museum, conscious

efforts were also made to retain the

large trees on site and to preserve the

surrounding context as much as possible.

While the building was completed last

August, with an official hand-over

ceremony attended by Minister of

Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports

Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah,

opening time is slated for later this year.

When complete, visitors will embark upon

an interactive journey through Sarawak’s

history, and the lifestyles of the state’s

numerous ethnic communities.

The Sarawak Museum had long been

hailed as one of the best in this part of

the world, with its old wing dating back

to 1891. The new building will serve as a

centre of learning, hosting international

scholars to collaborate with local

curators on documenting the material

knowledge of Borneo’s rich past, along

with its cultures, people and nature.

It aims to establish Sarawak as a new

global focal point for work in the field of

anthropology


SMART GUIDE 7

CULTURE

© 2019 Rob Allyn / STB

Jonathan Rhys

Meyers in the

upcoming

White Rajah

White Rajah brought

back to life

The legendary “founding father” of Sarawak set

to hit the big screen in new Hollywood extravaganza

For many in the western world, the name

Sir James Brooke has little meaning. That’s

about to change, as a new Hollywood

blockbuster, filmed at the end of 2019, and

in post-production in early 2020, will soon

be hitting the world’s screens.

The movie, with the working

title “White Rajah”, tells the

story of how this former

British soldier, who sailed

to Borneo in 1839 in search

of adventure and fortune,

came to be known as the

White Rajah of Sarawak,

after helping the Sultan

of Brunei crush a pirate

rebellion.

The new film was produced

by Rob Allyn, directed

by Michael Haussman

and stars Jonathan Rhys

Meyers in the role of the

Rajah. Rhys Meyers is best

known for his roles in Match

Point, Mission: Impossible

III, and Tudors and Vikings.

Actor Dominic Monaghan,

who played the hobbit

Merry in the Lord of the

Rings trilogy, takes the

role of Colonel Arthur

Crookshank, Brooke’s

cousin and comrade-inarms.

The production was made

in cooperation with the

Brooke Heritage Trust,

supported with Malaysia’s

federal FIMI film rebate -

the first time the rebate has

been used to make a major

movie outside of Peninsular

Malaysia. Sarawak’s

Minister of Tourism, Arts,

Culture, Youth and Sports,

Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman

Hamzah, has placed his

support behind the project,

saying he felt that the

fact the film showcases

many beautiful locations

in the state will arouse

great interest in travel to

Sarawak.

Shooting took place in the

rustic town of Siniawan,

the Fairy and Wind Caves in

Bau, Sarawak, the Sarawak

Cultural Village and Borneo

744.

Producer Rob Allyn says

he hopes his new film will

be ready in time to screen

at the 2020 Cannes Film

Festival in May

WHITE

RAJAH EPIC

ORIGINALLY

PLANNED

BY ERROL

FLYNN IN

1936

The successful filming of

this Hollywood epic comes

around 84 years after a first –

unsuccessful – bid to make a

film about the White Rajah, by

none other than Errol Flynn,

who was also to star in the film.

The film never came to fruition,

due to legal wrangling between

the would-be producers,

Warner Brothers, and Lady

Sylvia Brooke, the then Ranee

(Queen) of Sarawak over

“historical accuracy”.


CULTURE

The Antithesis

of British colonial rule

Sarawak Raj was a very “different” kind of

leadership

Sir James

Brooke

The White Rajahs ruled Sarawak from

1841 to 1946. The first ruler, subject of the

new Hollywood feature film, was Sir James

Brooke. As a reward for helping the Sultan

of Brunei fight piracy and insurgency

among the indigenous peoples, he was

granted the province of Sarawak in 1841,

as an independent Kingdom.

DELVING INTO HISTORY

AT FORT MARGHERITA

In Kuching, the very

prominent Fort Margherita

on the riverfront was built

by the second Rajah,

Charles Brooke. Designed

in the style of an English

castle in 1879, it protected

Kuching from pirate

attacks, and was named

after Charles Brookes’ wife

Margaret Alice Lili de Windt.

In 2016, having previously

housed the Police Museum,

it was transformed into

the “Brooke Gallery” –

showcasing the Brooke

dynasty

Brooke pursued a policy

of paternalism, with

the goal of protecting

the indigenous peoples

– the Iban and other

Dayak tribes – from

capitalist exploitation.

He installed laws banning

slavery, headhunting and

piracy.

After James Brooke laid

much of the groundwork

for the expansion of

Sarawak, his nephew

Charles, the second

Rajah, was the “great

builder”. He constructed

public buildings, such as

a hospital, in addition to

forts, as well as extending

the borders of the state.

Vyner Brooke, the son

of Charles, instituted

significant political

reforms. He ended

the absolute rule of

the Rajah in 1941,

before the Japanese

invasion during World War

II, by granting new powers

to the parliament.

The Brooke family still

maintains strong ties to

the state and its people

and are represented

by the Brooke Trust, and

by Anthony Brooke’s

grandson Jason Desmond

Anthony Brooke, at

many state functions

and supporting heritage

projects.

The Brookes’ architectural

legacy can still be seen

throughout Sarawak

Fort Margherita (centre),

with the State Assembly (right)

ANOTHER REMINDER

OF THE BROOKE LEGACY:

FORT ALICE, SRI AMAN

Fort Alice, built in 1864

in the coastal town of Sri

Aman, around 200km

north of Kuching, was given

the second name of the

Rajah’s wife. After years of

loving restoration, it

was opened to the

public in 2015, and

won the gold award

for conservation in

Malaysia’s Institute

of Architects’ 2017

Awards. The gallery

inside shows the

history of the fort itself, the

small town of Sri Aman as

well as the tense contention

between the Iban people

and the British soldiers of

the Brooke era

Fort Alice,

Sri Aman


SMART GUIDE 9

CULTURE

The real thing:

an Iban longhouse

at Batang Ai

Up close and

personal with

Sarawak’s

diverse

cultural roots

The Sarawak Cultural

Village, a stone’s throw from

Kuching, is so authentic

that it was used as a set for

the upcoming Hollywood

blockbuster, the White

Rajah. The village is a living

museum: ideal for a halfday

visit. The diversity of

Sarawak’s tribes is simply

extraordinary.

“If you take the example

of the Orang Ulu, they are

divided into 26 different

sub-groups, each of which

doesn’t speak a different

dialect, but speaks a

whole different language”,

explains Gary Speldewinde

– Director – Ecogreen

Holidays, Kuching, Sarawak.

The Cultural Village’s

buildings represent every

Penan

blowpipe

demonstration

at the Sarawak

Cultural Village

major ethnic group in

Sarawak; namely the

Bidayuh, Iban, Orang Ulu,

Penan, Melanau, Malay &

Chinese. Upon entering

each building, after

witnessing a traditional

welcome ceremony, visitors

find members of the

ethnic groups in traditional

costume carrying out

traditional activities and

taking time to pose for a

photo or two. At the Penan

hut, visitors also have the

opportunity to witness the

art of blowpipe making.

They can also try their hand

at blowpipe shooting with

the Penans, the last of the

hunters and gatherers –

forest nomads

While the Sarawak cultural

village is exceptional,

nothing beats the real

thing. A few hours’ drive

outside Kuching, one

arrives at Batang Ai dam

– the shores of which are

home to a number of Iban

people living in traditional

longhouses, leading simple

lives.

The biggest community –

the Mengkak longhouse

– has 38 families, totalling

around 200 people. The

community is around 45

minutes’ boat ride from the

nearest resort or road.

Visiting this place, one

instantly understands that

these people are, on the

one hand, quite reserved,

and on the other, are very

hospitable. Their traditional

rituals, dances, foods,

and costumes continue

to intrigue and fascinate

visitors and researchers

from around the world.

The longhouse is made

up of a large communal

living space, called the

ruai, flanked on the outside

by a terrace, and on the

other by individual rooms

– each housing a family.

The ruai is the place

where the longhouse folk

gather for a chat or carry

out their days’ activities.

Here, one eats with the

Iban, seated on the floor,

savouring local fare, after

tasting the home-made

rice wine and (gulp) rice

‘whisky’.

These are the direct

descendants of the Iban

head-hunters, whose

images from yesteryear

fuelled the curiosity of so

many in the past. Apart

from the head-hunting,

little else has changed.

It is truly an immersive

experience

A traditional dance in

the Mengkak longhouse


I ADVENTURE I NATURE

Penan woman, selling

handicrafts at Batu

Bungan village (Mulu)

Tourism

as a cause

for good

As often stated by the

former Secretary-General

of the UNWTO, Taleb Rifai,

tourism can and should be

a force for good. In Sarawak,

this is very much the case,

as every person who visits

Sarawak’s national parks

and protected areas and

pays fees contributes to

the upkeep of these fragile

forests – much of them

pristine primary growth –

and protects the unique

wildlife that lives within

them.

Some local tour operators

also offer the chance for

visitors to become involved in

reforestation initiatives. Park

buffer zones are extremely

important in increasing the

available habitat for wildlife,

so by extending the forest

cover this further helps

in protecting the wildlife.

Huge steps are being made

across the state to conserve

and manage Sarawak’s

valuable and unique

forests. In addition to some

800,000 hectares of Totally

Protected Areas (TPAs)

that are off-limit to logging

companies, large areas of

land classed as “terrain

4” (steep and hilly) areas,

“High Conservation Value

Forests”, buffer zones and

verified “Native Customary

Rights” land remain pristine.

The declared initiative by

the state government to

pursue responsible tourism

underpins the importance

of other moves that had

already been initiated by the

state authorities to protect

forests and wildlife

Upgraded

infrastructure for

Bako National Park

With foreign tourist numbers to

Bako National Park growing by

an average of around 15% every

year for the past three years, the

Sarawak Forestry Corporation

has been working on adding

to and refurbishing facilities for

visitors, including the opening

of a new camping ground. The

Bako Boat Terminal was also

temporary closed for renovation

and upgrade by the Sarawak River

Board from 15 April 2019 through

February 2020.

Bako is said by many to be

the best place in Sarawak for

wildlife experiences. It is home

to approximately 150 rare

proboscis monkeys, found only

in Borneo. The park has been

a protected area since 1957, so

animals are less wary of humans.

Visitors, especially those who

stay overnight, have countless

opportunities to observe and

photograph various types of

wildlife. Long-tailed macaques,

silvered leaf-monkeys, common

water monitors, plantain squirrels,

wild boar and mouse deer are also

found here.

The largest mammal found at

Bako is the Bornean Bearded

Pig. As its name implies, it is

distinguished from other wild

pigs by prominent bristles either

side of its snout. Bearded pigs are

often found around the park HQ

scavenging for food or wallowing

in mud

Proboscis

Monkey in

Bako National

Park


SMART GUIDE 11

ADVENTURE I NATURE I

Orang-utan in

Semenggoh park

New role for Semenggoh

Until recently known as an orangutan “rescue centre”

the status has now changed to “nature reserve”

For over 20 years, the wardens at Semenggoh Nature Reserve

had been training young orangutans, orphaned or rescued

from captivity, on how to survive in the wild. The success of

this programme has left the surrounding forest reserve with

a thriving population of healthy adolescent and young adult

orangutans, who are now breeding in the wild.

The rescue programme has thus been

transferred to Matang Wildlife Centre,

leaving Semenggoh Nature Reserve as

a comfortable home to its successful

graduates, semi-wild orangutans and

their babies.

These majestic animals – our closest

“cousins” in terms of DNA, once kept

illegally as pets, are trained on how

to fend for themselves before being

released into the forest. Over the years, a

number of orangutans have been trained

and released and now form a semi-wild

colony in the reserve. As regular as

clockwork, they swing down from the

trees for a free handout of fruit. If it is

the fruiting season in the forest, some or

even all of them may not come to feed.

This in itself is a good sign and another

step on the way to full rehabilitation.

MATANG TAKES OVER

AS MAIN RESCUE CENTRE

Matang Wildlife Centre is to be found at

the western corner of the Kubah National

Park, about 40 minutes’ drive from

Kuching. The centre’s 180 hectares

of lowland forest provides natural

surroundings for orangutans and other

local fauna. Matang is a dedicated

centre where endangered species, such

as orangutans, are rehabilitated and

released into the forest. While they are

being educated, they remain at the centre,

enabling visitors to get close to animals

they might not spot in days of wandering

the jungle. (Please note that wildlife

sighting activities in Matang Wildlife

Centre will be temporarily ceased from

1 st January 2020 until 30 th June 2020 (6

months) in order to facilitate repair and

maintenance works on the infrastructure.)

WORK HANDS-ON TO SAVE

ORANGUTANS? YES, YOU

CAN!

Foreign visitors to Sarawak are

able to volunteer to work with an

orangutan conservation programme.

With Orangutan Project Sdn Bhd,

a conservation company offering

alternative solutions and sustainable

funding opportunities for the endangered

wildlife on Borneo, visitors can give

“hands-on” help in their quest to save

the Red Apes of Borneo, with monthly

departures to Batang Ai National Park



© 2019 Paradesa

Cycling

Borneo

Trans-Borneo

Road Bike

KAYAKING

SARAWAK -

PADDLING

IN

PARADISE

For great photo

opportunities (with a

waterproof camera),

kayaking on Sarawak’s

Semadang River is a

must.

Semadang Kayak is the premier

kayaking, bamboo rafting

and adventure outfitter and

service provider operating on

the Sarawak River (Semadang

River) at the Heart of Borneo’s

Rainforest a short drive from

Kuching, Sarawak.

“Trans-Borneo Road Bike” has

been launched by Kuchingbased

adventure tour operator

Paradesa* as a two-week

adventure through the wilds of

this incredible island.

Visitors cycle a total of 1,370 kilometres on

paved roads along the South China

Sea and beaches, through mangrove

forests and plantations, stunning

landscapes and peaceful villages before

taking on some challenging climbs to

truly appreciate the natural splendour

of Borneo. Accommodation varies

from beachside / mountain resorts to

international city hotels, and even a local

homestay.

The itinerary covers two countries,

8 international crossings and 1,370

kilometres in 12 cycling days, with

enthusiasts cycling end-to-end,

travelling East to West from the state

of Sarawak, finishing in style in Sabah,

crossing through the Sultanate of Brunei

along the way.

Highlights include encountering the

hospitality of the multi-ethnic peoples

of Borneo, exploring remote national

parks of Sarawak for wildlife spotting,

and being among the first to boast riding

across Borneo.

Those who like cycling, but perhaps

not to the point of crossing the entire

island, will find an eclectic range of

other possibilities, with a number of

short cycling itineraries, including “Best

of Kuching: Heritage and Kampong

Bike Tour”, “Sunset Kampong Ride with

Hawker Food”, “A bite of Borneo by Bike”,

and “Kuching Bike and Cook”.

*Winner of 7th Sarawak Hornbill Tourism

Award 2015/2016: - Outstanding

Destination Management Company -

Special Recognition: Emerging DMC

Award

With various package choices,

the local operator takes visitors

on the “kayaking and rafting

trip of their life”. The trip is a

family friendly and suitable for

beginners, including a short

“training” session at the start of

the activity. Lunch is included

in a small village along the way.

The organisers themselves take

photos of the intrepid kayakers,

sent to them by email just after

their visit

Semadang

Kayak


SMART GUIDE 13

ADVENTURE I NATURE I

Celebrating 20 years World Heritage status

Mulu underlines legacy from the past, being lived today, set to be

passed-on to future generations

In November 2020, Mulu National Park

celebrates the 20 th anniversary of its being

named one of only 20 World Heritage sites

in the world that qualify for a total of four

key world heritage criteria. Mulu boasts

superlative beauty – mountains, combined

with huge river systems, a tropical

rainforest and huge caves. The earth’s

history and geo features are evident in the

gigantic caves and the Pinnacles. Visitors

appreciate the biodiversity and ecological

processes when adventure trekking or just

strolling along the botany trails.

© 2018 Jorg Sundermann

Melinau river sunset

at Mulu Marriott Resort

Deer Cave, Mulu

National Park

“REVEALED” IN THE 1970’S

The mystery and magic

of Borneo has lured the

cream of the scientific

world since it was first

discovered. In 1978,

the Royal Geographical

Society launched one

of the biggest multidisciplinary

expeditions

to Mulu. Prior to this, the

Sarawak Government,

recognising the special

qualities of Mulu, had

gazetted it a National Park

in 1974. The magic caught

on in 2000, and Mulu

was declared an iconic

UNESCO World Heritage

Area, and at 55,000

hectares, also the state’s

biggest National Park.

Gunung Mulu National

Park is now the most

intensively studied area

of tropical karst in the

world. Dominated by

Gunung Mulu, a 2,377m

sandstone pinnacle

(the second highest

mountain in Sarawak),

the area is exceptionally

scenic, with rainforestcovered

mountains,

wild rivers in deeplyincised

canyons, sheer

limestone pinnacles, long

underground passages

and immense caves.

CAVES: THE WORLD’S BIGGEST

In terms of total volume, Mulu

boasts having the biggest cave

system in the world. At least 295

km of explored caves include

the Sarawak Chamber - the

largest known cave chamber

in the world at 600 m by 415 m

and 80 m high. With a volume

of 12 million cubic meters and

an unsupported roof span of

300 m, this chamber dwarfs

any other large chamber so

far discovered. Deer Cave at

120 to 150 m in diameter is

the largest cave passage in the

world known at the present

time and the Clearwater

Cave System holds the world

record as the longest cave in

Asia at 110 km of mapped and

explored passages. The caves

show classic underground

geomorphological features

which reveal an evolutionary

history of more than 1.5 million

years.

Both above and below ground

the Park has a wide range of

endemic animals and plants in

seventeen vegetation zones.

The caves house millions

of swiftlets and bats and

provide outstanding scientific

opportunities to study the

origins of cave fauna.



MEETING THE LOCALS

– ORANG ULU, THE UPRIVER PEOPLE

From the river-based Berawan tribes of

Long Terawan to the now settling Penan

in the villages of Batu Bungan and Long

Iman: these are the Mulu locals and

they play an integral part in the affairs

of Mulu National Park. These villages

are also made accessible for tourists

to visit, specifically to enjoy the local

handicraft market and of course to try

their hand at the weapon of choice –

the blowpipe! The workforce of the Park

consists of 96% locals and all are proud

Sarawakians.

River at Mulu

GUNUNG MULU

NATIONAL PARK

– PROTECTING

HERITAGE

FOR FUTURE

GENERATIONS

A recent study (2017) by the IUCN

World Heritage Outlook resulted in a

“good” status, with the IUCN stating,

“The combination of the remoteness

(no public road access), rugged

terrain, legislative basis of protection,

existence and implementation of

an Integrated Development and

Management Plan, 5-year plan, very

effective professional management

and dependence of a valuable

tourism industry on the park augurs

well contributing to ongoing effective

protection and management.”

According to the UNESCO World

Heritage Committee, “GMNP

provides outstanding scientific

opportunities to study theories on

the origins of cave faunas. With its

deeply-incised canyons, wild rivers,

rainforest-covered mountains,

spectacular limestone pinnacles,

cave passages and decorations,

Mulu has outstanding scenic values.

GMNP also provides significant

natural habitat for a wide range of

plant and animal diversity both above

and below ground. It is botanicallyrich

in species and high in endemism,

including one of the richest sites in

the world for palm species.”

HIGHLY TRAINED GUIDES

When a guide leads a group into

the Mulu caves he or she is not only

an interpreter, allowing people to

understand the nature, but they also

act like rangers, ensuring the visitors

keep their litter, and do not harm the

environment.

The park itself employs around 20

guides and there are a number of

freelance guides working permanently

with travel agencies, bringing the total

to 60 guides.

CANOPY WALK

At 480 metres in total length and

built in 2007, Mulu has the longest

tree-based walkway in the world.

Here, guides help visitors better

understand the flora and fauna

of the tropical forest.

Mulu canopy

walkway

Jeffrey Simun,

Operation Manager,

and Bian Rumei,

Tourism Services

Manager, Borsamulu –

Mulu National Park

“Guides have to attend a course

which is run by the Sarawak Forestry

Corporation for 21 days, and Borsamulu

runs a course which lasts around 10

days, very specific on the park product,”

explains Jeffrey Simun, Operation

Manager, Borsamulu – Mulu National

Park. “They learn about the geology of

the caves, the flora the fauna, and then

they have to attend an exam. Only once

they pass the exam can they obtain a

license.”


SMART GUIDE 15

CULTURE I ADVENTURE I NATURE I FOOD I FESTIVALS I

Penghulu

Robertson,

village chief

of Bario

Bario – the land of a hundred

handshakes

A little-known remote inland region that “ticks-off

all the boxes”

Penghulu Robertson, village

chief of Bario (pronounced

Bariew), holds out his hand to

strangers at the tiny aerodrome

as the passengers prepare to

board a MAS Wings Twin Otter

back to the coast – one of two

flights a day. The airport is the

main entry point for all travellers,

unless they are keen on taking a

12-14 hour slipping-and-sliding

bone-shaking 4-wheel drive

epic from Miri on the coast.

“How have you enjoyed this place?”,

the chief inquires, with a warm,

genuine smile. And of course, the

handshake. If Bario is described by

those who have visited as the “land

of a hundred handshakes”, it is not

without reason. In a day, the visitor will

shake dozens of hands, be greeted

with an equal number of smiles,

and will be treated to a broad range

of local “bush caught and grown”

dishes. This place thus singularly

“ticks off all the boxes” of Sarawak

Tourism Board’s promotional themes

of culture, adventure, nature, food

and festivals.

In past years, a large number of

research projects around the world

have pointed to the fact that savvy

travellers more and more are looking

for what could be termed “immersive”

experiences, where they meld into

a local community, becoming as

one with its people, rather than just

being observers. Bario, through its

remoteness, and the fact there are

no hotels – just longhouses – puts

one fairly and squarely in the picture

as part of the local experience. Added

to this is the fact that the “official”

welcome ceremony for visitors by

the Kelabit people involves the visitor

participating, albeit awkwardly, with

an occasional giggle, in dance and

games with the locals. It means one

is not an observer, but is accepted as

a friend or “part of the family”.

Lying at an altitude of over 1,100m, in

the north-eastern corner of Sarawak,

Bario, once known as the “most

remote village in the British Empire”,

is home to the Kelabit people, one

of the minority Orang Ulu tribes of

Sarawak (formerly fierce headhunters),

and its name means “wind”

in their language.


I CULTURE I ADVENTURE I NATURE I FOOD I FESTIVALS

It is the starting point for a

number of treks throughout the

area (for virtually all fitness

levels). One can also go kayaking

or be immersed in the mystical

tales of the megaliths that

dot the area. For the really

adventurous, Bario is either

the starting or the ending point

of the arduous 5 day /4 night

Bario-Ba’kelalan jungle trekking

adventure.

“What would you say makes

Bario different?”, I asked the

chief.

“Of course, there is the Bario rice,

then there is the pineapple. It

grows all over Borneo, but it’s not

as sweet as in Bario. Maybe it’s

because of the climate, or maybe

the altitude. Another thing that

is different here is the weather,

which is much cooler than on the

coast,” he replies.

Batu Ritang

Megalith

THE

MEGALITHS

OF THE BARIO

HIGHLANDS

The region is dotted with massive

man-made stone structures

known as megaliths. Perhaps the

best known is the Ritong stone, or

Batu Ritong, at Pa Lungan, a little

under an hour by 4-wheel-drive

from Bario town. It is thought to

be a burial ground for a Kelabit

nobleman named Ritong dating

from hundreds of years ago. The

site was excavated in 1962 by

British soldier Tom Harrison, and

originally, the structure was standing

straight upright. However, over the

years, Batu Ritong has tilted, and is

now at a 45° angle

It’s hard to pin down a single

“selling point” for this place.

Perhaps the key differentiator is

the fact that there are so many

points – all important.

The homestays provide lodging

and full board, with meals quite

often consisting of organic

Bario highland rice, wild boar

or venison, and jungle plants,

topped off with local pineapple.

All organic of course

Sunset over the Bario

countryside

PESTA NUKENEN

AN ETHNIC “SLOW FOOD” FESTIVAL

UNLIKE ANY OTHER

Founded in 2005, the Bario Food and

Cultural Festival, or “Pesta Nukenen” is

one of the most exceptional ethnic food

festivals in Malaysia.

The three-day annual Nukenen

Festival, generally held in the month

of July, celebrates the unique food,

farming, forest and cultural heritage

of the Bario Highlands, with visitors

enjoying delicious organic food cooked by

the various longhouse communities of the

Kelabit Highlands.

As space is very limited on flights to Bario,

it is recommended to organise visits to

Bario well ahead of time via local DMCs

who are able to coordinate transport and

accommodation

Preparing “Nubag

Layag” during Pesta

Nukenen

Local dishes include “Nubag Layag” –

sticky Bario rice wrapped in a leaf called

an “Isit”. Even up until today, this is the

standard food local farmers carry with

them as snacks when working in the fields.

Another “must have” is the “Pucuk Ubek”,

a fine concoction of pounded tapioca

leaves. And don’t miss the “Urum Ubek”,

or glutinous rice fritters.


SMART GUIDE 17

FESTIVALS

Rainforest World

Music festival is a

high energy event

SARAWAK – home to

countless festivals

There’s a whole range of festivals in Sarawak

throughout the year. Here are just a few…

PESTA BABULANG

(BUFFALO RACE FESTIVAL)

Dates: 5 – 7 June 2020

NEW! - RAINFOREST

IN THE CITY

Dates: 30 June – 9 July 2020

RAINFOREST WORLD

MUSIC FESTIVAL 2020

Dates: 10 – 12 July 2020

Steeped in tradition, this cultural

festival - the biggest in Limbang

(northern Sarawak), includes the

quintessential buffalo race. Another

highlight is the “Ratu Babulang”

or “Babulang Queen” contest,

which sees young Bisaya ladies in

traditional costumes display in their

most mesmerising mannerisms

in a bid to win the title crown.

Pesta Babulang also showcases

traditional Bisaya costumes, culture

performances, exotic native food

and other unique activities. (Bisaya

is one of indigenous people in

north-west and coast line of Borneo,

mostly living in Limbang and Lawas

district)

Rainforest in the City aims to enhance

the buzz, highlighting the on-going

campaign of Visit Sarawak Year 2020

by spotlighting events at The Heroes

Monument Park in the Kuching city

centre - for tourists and festival-goers.

Its intention is to expose the Culture,

Adventure, Nature and the Food &

Festivals that Sarawak has to offer in

“snippets” with modern audio, lights and

technologies to experience in the city by

night over 10 days. This festival consists

of 3 main components, namely light

exhibition, audio visual performances

and food experiences. Combinations of

all these three elements will be the main

feature of this year’s event and hopefully

the years to come.

The Rainforest World Music

Festival (often abbreviated as RWMF)

is an annual three-day music festival

celebrating the diversity of world music,

held in Kuching, with daytime music

workshops, cultural displays, craft

displays, food stalls, and main-stage

evening concerts.

The festival features a wide range of

performances from traditional music, to

world fusion and contemporary world

music.

For its 23rd edition, the Rainforest World

Music Festival this year will be featuring 8

stages, 9 mini session venues throughout

the Sarawak Cultural Village. 45 bands

will deliver over 70 performances

including 33 mini sessions.


FESTIVALS

RWMF FRINGE FESTIVAL

Dates: 3 – 15 July 2020

The RWMF Fringe is an annual festival

of visual, performing and lifestyle arts

from Borneo and around the world to

complement the iconic Rainforest World

Music Festival. It also aims to bring the best

of the mainstream contemporary, traditional

as well as engaging experimental works to

local and also visiting audiences.

Expect to see genres such as Theatre,

Photography, Indigenous Film, Marketplace,

Cuisine, Spoken Word, Arts & Crafts, Fashion

and more at the RWMF Fringe. All RWMF

Fringe events are staged at exciting venues

within 2-kilometres of Kuching city centre

as The Rainforest World Music Festival is

held at the Sarawak Cultural Village & Damai

Central on the coastal enclave of Santubong,

37 kilometres from the city.

Most RWMF Fringe events are staged free of

charge on a “first come first served” basis.

BORNEO CULTURAL

FESTIVAL – SIBU

Dates: 16 – 25 July 2020

Borneo Cultural Festival (BCF) is

a week-long celebration of food,

music and dances that celebrate

the unique yet diverse cultural

background such as Indigenous

people (Iban, Bidayuh, Orang Ulu,

Malay/Melanau and Chinese). The

festival highlights the richness of

culture and heritage in Borneo to

the world, including its multiracial

beliefs and practices with holding

the main object by promoting

“Beauty in Ethnic Diversity”.

BCF is Sibu’s biggest tourism

event, it is also a perfect time to

mingle all the locals from walks

of life by participating in fringe

events such as trade shows, fun

fair and stage shows.

SARAWAK

INTERNATIONAL

DRAGON BOAT

FESTIVAL

Dates: 23 – 25 October 2020

The Sarawak International

Dragon Boat Regatta is an

internationally-recognised

event, where local and foreign

teams compete in various race

categories to win cash money

and trophies. This challenge

is an affiliate event of the

International Dragon Boat

Federation (IDBF).


SMART GUIDE 19

MICE

The Borneo

Convention Centre

Kuching

MICE in Sarawak

Borneo Convention Centre Kuching plans

major upgrade in 2020

The spectacular Borneo Convention Centre Kuching plans on

carrying out major upgrades this year, introducing state of the

art audio-visual technology to its repertoire.

News of the upgrade comes as a new

report by Talk2 Media & Events has

underlined the importance of face-toface

meetings, revealing that 93% of

business event delegates find human

interaction and connections important

across business events, with 48%

declaring them to be critical. In view

of this information, BCCK is working

on continuing to expand its global

presence by hosting more and more

international and prestigious events, as

well as expanding physically as a venue

to facilitate more and larger events in the

future.

BCCK was the first purpose-built venue

in Sarawak, designed to host a myriad

of events from large conferences and

exhibitions to smaller meetings within

one venue. It first opened its doors in

2009 and has since hosted over 1,800

events and over 2.4 million delegates and

visitors.

Located 8 km from Kuching’s city

centre, the BCCK is located on

a 6-hectare riverfront site. The

centre’s environmentally conscious

design was inspired by the surrounding

rainforest. A major element - when viewed

from the outside - is the roof structure.

Creative architectural solutions for

function and form of this element were

found in nature. The Centre’s roof is

shaped in the form of a “Ririk” leaf.

“Ririk” grows in abundance in Sarawak,

and due to its large leaves, it is used by

many indigenous tribes for wrapping rice

and food.

The building has a gross floor area

of 36,500 square metres and the

internal design offers complete

flexibility with functional spaces able to

be subdivided into a variety of sizes and

configurations for plenary sessions,

exhibitions and banquets.

In the field of MICE, as organisations

around the world seek to be more

innovative and compete more and more

on creativity, BCCK approached the

question of innovation from a totally

unique perspective: a space created amid

the tranquillity of the tropical rainforest

where any distractions that could take

focus away from simply being innovative

are kept at a distance.

Being secluded however does not mean

disconnection. The centre is equipped

with the latest in communication

technologies with wireless internet

enveloping the whole area, cutting ledge

LAN infrastructure and, from this year,

even more modern AV technology

A FEW KEY EVENTS

FOR 2020:

July:

Men’s Health World Congress

(MHWC) 2020

July:

6 th World Engineering, Science and

Technology Congress (ESTCON) 2020

August:

18 th International Conference on Clean

Energy (ICCE 2020)

November:

AFSM Tripartite Conference 2020


TRANSPORT & INFRASTRUCTURE

Taxi boat

approaching the

new Golden Bridge

with State Assembly

in background

Despite the completion of

the spectacular Golden

Bridge, the new highlight

of Kuching’s riverfront in

2017, Sarawak’s “perahu

tambang” or river taxis,

remain very much the icon

of the Sarawak River; a relic

of the past; still very much

part of the city’s daily life.

Over two centuries, since the first

White Rajah, Sir James Brooke, set

up an early settlement combining

two populated Malay Kampungs —

Boyan and Surabaya — on the left

bank of the river as his administrative

centre, this part of the river figured

prominently in the life of the city,

contributing to the birth of downtown

Kuching.

Today, the new 335m S-shaped

bridge is a key tourist attraction,

connecting the south bank’s highly

popular waterfront walkway (main

bazaar and golden triangle) to

the north bank, where the State

Legislative Assembly building, the

historic Fort Margherita, and Astana

residence are to be found.

The Sarawak River -

life blood of Kuching

“Perahu tambang” still the icons

of the picturesque waterway

Sungai Bedil Besar, it is still much

quicker to take a boat - only two to

three minutes, while pedestrians

wishing to use the bridge will have

to walk for 15-20 minutes. Some

boatmen eat and sleep on their

boats during the week… so don’t be

surprised to see a blanket or two

rucked under the stern. According

to Jeman, most boat men work one

week on and three weeks off – in

rotation with others – while they

work in on farms the remainder of

the month.

To fully tap the river’s tourist potential,

the Sarawak Rivers Board (SRB)

recently endorsed a masterplan to

further develop river transport along

a 24km zone between Batu Kawa

and the Borneo Convention Centre

Kuching (BCCK).

A river cruise on

the MV Equatorial

CRUISING

THE RIVER

For those wishing to visit Kuching at a

leisurely pace – viewed from the river,

cruising aboard the “Sarawak River

Cruise” on the MV Equatorial gives a

different perspective of the historic city.

The cruise takes visitors past historical

landmarks such as the Kuching

Waterfront, Square Tower (formerly a

prison), a multi-purpose market, the old

State Mosque with five onion-shaped

domes, a Malay house on stilts and

the Satok Suspension Bridge before

heading the other side of the river to

see the Astana (former palace of the

White Rajahs), Fort Margherita (now a

police museum) and a fishing village

“My job still keeps me busy”, said Pak

cik Jeman (Jeman the boatman),

who prefers to row his passengers

across the river than to use the

motor. Generally running a boat from

the jetty at Jalan Gambir to Kampung


SMART GUIDE 21

TRANSPORT & INFRASTRUCTURE

Ongoing

roadworks flank

original road

on Pan Borneo

Highway project

– here near Sri

Aman

Royal Brunei Airlines

introduces flights to

Kuching and Sibu in

Sarawak

The new Royal

Brunei routes

A new transport backbone

– the Pan Borneo Highway

Travel by road across the vast state of Sarawak continues

to be a long journey – up to 19 hours from Sematan to Miri

currently on a tarred, but often rough two-lane road.

Royal Brunei Airlines has launched

services to Sarawak with flights to

Kuching and Sibu as part of its new “RB

Link” services.

To accelerate the socio-economic

growth of Sabah and Sarawak, a major

effort to fully develop and upgrade

the Pan Borneo Highway into a fourlane

dual carriageway was announced

by Malaysia’s Prime Minister in April

2013. But the origins of a planned trunk

road connecting the expansive states

of Sarawak and Sabah, with Brunei in

between, date back to the 1960s when

it was known as the Trans-Borneo

Highway. Construction works began

in 2015, and now almost half the works

have been accomplished throughout

the state.

When completed in the coming

years, the future toll-free Pan Borneo

Highway Sarawak from Telok Melano

to Merapok is expected to span a total

distance of 1,060 km. It will become

THE transportation backbone of the

states of Sabah and Sarawak and

will play a major role in opening-up

economic corridors and opportunities

in areas it traverses.

Pavement works – at some stretches,

new 2-lane single carriageway are

already taking shape. These will

be progressively opened to traffic,

to enable construction works to

concentrate on the next two-lane

single carriageway

“We are very pleased to be able to expand

our footprint in Sarawak with two new

destinations, Kuching and Sibu through

our brand-new innovative product, RB

Link. This allows for more trade and

tourism opportunities between the

cities, and also provides residents from

Kuching and Sibu with greater travel

choices to any of our exciting cities

within the RB global network,” said Ai

Ling, RB’s Senior Vice President of Sales.

Flights to and from Sibu began on 14

November 2019

KUCHING LAUNCHES NEW

HYDROGEN-POWERED BUS

SERVICE

The new zero

emission

hydrogen bus

in Kuching

Sarawak’s highly anticipated

zero emission hydrogen

bus service was launched in

January 2020, operating on

two routes with stops near

various attractions in the city.

The pilot project has begun

with two buses – one operating

the Downtown Heritage

Loop and the other on the

much longer Damai Loop.

The service is a joint effort of

the State Transport Ministry

and Sarawak Economic

Development Corporation

(SEDC) to promote a reliable,

affordable, safe and ecofriendly

public transportation

system in Sarawak


From

Penang

From

Kuala Lumpur

Kota Kinabalu

SABAH

From

Johor Bahru

Miri

Brunei

Mulu

From

Ponanak,

Indonesia

From

Singapore

Sibu

Bintulu

SARAWAK

Kuching

THAILAND

ADAM

AND NICOBAR

ISLANDS (INDIA)

CAMBODIA

VIETNAM

PHILIPPINES

MALAYSIA

BRUNEI

SARAWAK

SINGAPORE

INDONESIA

SABAH

BANDAR

SERI BEGAWAN

MIRI

Miri-Sibuti

Reef

Sibuti

Lawas

LIMBANG

BRUNEI

Nanga Medamit

Marudi

Beluru Mulu

Ba Kelalan

Bario

Sematan

Lundu

Matu

Siburan

Bau

KOTA

BETONG

SAMARAHAN

Pulau Bruit

Daro

Belaga

Selangau

SIBU

Song

Damai

Kabong SARIKEI

KAPIT

Kanowit

Santubong

Talang Satang Island

Pusa

KUCHING

Sebuyau

SERIAN

SRI AMAN

MUKAH

Lubuk Antu

BINTULU

Tatau

Sebauh

Bukit Mabong

Sg. Asap


SMART GUIDE 23

ITB Berlin News #3

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