ITB Berlin News #3

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.
6 SMART GUIDE www.sarawaktourism.com