I SPECIAL FEATURE I
I SPECIAL FEATURE I CULTURAL TOURISM I Sabah Tourism steers towards communitybased and architecture tourism Adopting an original approach, Sabah wants to focus on community-based tourism explains Noredah Othman, General Manager, Sabah Tourism Board. Sabah’s Community Based Tourism (CBT) has been growing and is increasingly popular. "This is timely, as Sabah receives a large number of return visitors. So it is necessary for the state to provide new options to explore Sabah beyond the commercial and well-developed tourism sites", says Noredah Othman, General Manager at Sabah Tourism Board. "CBT has, in essence, brought-in something new for visitors in addition to providing economic growth in the state’s interior areas", she adds. People have become increasingly aware of the environment and sustainability implications of travel. "Environmental awareness and sustainability have been pivotal subjects even prior to Covid. Each December we close the world-renowned diving site, Sipadan, in order to allow time for regeneration. The number of climbers allowed on Mount Kinabalu has also been reduced. And along the Kinabatangan river, where the forest has been fragmented, the Sabah State Government has begun the process of reclaiming the land and creating an improved corridor for the migration of wildlife", she says. CBT initiatives and homestays could therefore help reassure local residents who show a strong desire to preserve their roots while also giving them a new sense of pride. Sabah Tourism Board is also considering the development of architectural tourism to create new product offerings that will boost the vibrancy of the state and tourism in general. Sabah’s cultural elements are diverse and should play a part in the design of architecture, estimates Sabah Tourism. With 40 ethnic groups, architecture should be leveraged to reflect the cultural strength of the destination STAND D07 NYC invites Asian visitors to discover its neighbourhoods like New Yorkers Visitors at ITB Asia can learn all about New York's latest tourism marketing campaign created by NYC & Company. Supporting the return of international tourists this year, the city's tourism organisation (NYC & Company) has released Neighbourhood travel guides of its five boroughs Brooklyn, Bronx, Manhattan, Staten Island and Queens. ‘Brooklyn Like a New Yorker,’ ‘Bronx Like a New Yorker,’ ‘Manhattan Like a New Yorker,’ ‘Staten Island Like a New Yorker,’ and ‘Queens Like a New Yorker’ : New York City's new tourism marketing campaign encourages visitors to explore different parts of New York City and support small businesses as the tourism industry bounces back. According to NYC & Company, tourism levels in the city are expected to return to 85% of 2019 levels by year end. That would include an estimated 8 million international travellers. 'Get Local NYC' is a way for New York to entice people venturing beyond the main sights, explore the metropolis and also help rebuild and strengthen tourism and hospitality businesses across all five boroughs. The campaign highlights New Yorkers' best kept secrets. "While New Yorkers know where to find the best bagel or slice of pizza, see the best street art or artists, tourists are not so lucky. These guides give an insider's view to visitors,” explains the NYC & Company marketing team. And the new initative also offers targeted tools for travel agents: Borough-specific guides with photo galleries, videos, itineraries, events, and venues are available on the city’s official tourism website, helping professionals to set up itineraries. NYC & Company’s creative team also built-in additional taglines, including ‘Chinatown Like a New Yorker,’ ‘Museums Like a New Yorker,’ ‘Dance Till Dawn Like a New Yorker,’ ‘Art Galleries Like a New Yorker,’ with more to follow, including dining and retail solutions to reflect New York City’s vibrancy STAND P05 12 ITB ASIA NEWS • FRIDAY 21 OCTOBER 2022 www.itb-asia-news.com
I SPECIAL FEATURE I MICE I BESarawak promotes team building offers at ITB Asia BESarawak (Business Events Sarawak) aims to attract more national and international meetings and incentives through a new immersive team building programme, Tribespirit Teambuilding. As part of the destination's strategic development plan, BESarawak is working in close partnership with main local actors like Miri Business Committee (MBEC) to host more national and international meetings and incentives. “Our principal move this year was to expand the existing support system to attract more corporate meetings and incentive groups to Miri, Sarawak's second largest city” explains Amelia Roziman, BESarawak’s CEO. “The support given to incentives houses, destination management companies, corporate organisations and alike for this particular segment is larger and more substantial than before.” Business Events Sarawak is taking active steps to promote more destinations in Sarawak. The northern city of Miri is part of this strategy and is looking to attract new markets and increase delegate arrivals, with an immersive team building programme, Tribespirit Teambuilding. After its initial launch in Kuching last year, this motivational programme made its way to Miri in a bid to open more options for national and international corporate meetings and incentive planners. Unlike other traditional team building programmes, Tribespirit Teambuilding, is centred around the GoTeam mobile application to manage and monitor onground activities remotely using geo-tracking technology. Challenges are GPS-triggered and updates, feedback, and scores are kept in real-time to give the programme a more tailored experience. BESarawak and MBEC co-developed the programme with training and team building provider Asia Ability and industry partners, Miri City Council and Sarawak Forestry Corporation to ensure that the experience was done successfully without compromising on the elements that make a teambuilding programme effective. BESarawak is back at ITB Asia as a coexhibitor of Tourism Sarawak, who benefitted from ITB Asia to launch its new "Look See Chiak Makan" campaign during a press conference yesterday STAND C05 Visit Finland is working to make travel activities, particularly for MICE, more sustainable through its Sustainable Travel Finland programme. Finland juggles MICE activities and sustainable tourism Finnish people have been heavily involved in protecting their environment and nature for a long time. Such a commitment also applies to MICE activities. Responsibility is a mega-trend and a decisive selection criterion for an increasing number of companies and travelers. Visit Finland has come to ITB Asia to promote its Sustainable Travel Finland programme and position the destination as a leader in sustainable tourism. The Sustainable Travel Finland label facilitates tourists’ and event planners’ choices when taking travel decisions. The label is only awarded to companies and destinations that have undergone the entire Sustainable Travel Finland programme and fulfilled its criteria. The programme includes regular auditing to renew the label, a definitive symbol of commitment towards sustainable practices and principles. One of the latest companies to join Visit Finland's Sustainable Travel Finland programme is Messukeskus Helsinki, Expo and Convention Centre. Messukeskus’ goal is to develop its services to become even more responsible and encourage its customers to make environmentally friendly choices. “The Sustainable Travel Finland label is a sign of valuable and long-term work for sustainable tourism, and we are proud to receive the recognition. The programme brings more tools and a strong partner network to our long-standing responsibility work. It is great to join forces with Visit Finland and other companies in the Sustainable Travel Finland programme to tell our international audience about responsible tourism and events,” highlights Messukeskus Helsinki management STAND M05 ITB ASIA NEWS • FRIDAY 21 OCTOBER 2022 13
