I RESPONSIBLE TOURISM
I RESPONSIBLE TOURISM IPenan villagers, Mulu, SarawakTourism as a causefor goodThe Malaysian state of Sarawakhas underlined its dedication to a"sustainable future".As often stated by the former Secretary-General of the UNWTO, Taleb Rifai, tourismcan and should be a force for good. InSarawak, this is very much the case, as everyperson who visitors Sarawak’s nationalparks and protected areas and pays feescontributes to the upkeep of these fragileforests – much of them pristine primarygrowth – and protects the unique wildlifethat lives within them.Some local tour operators also offer thechance for visitors to become involved inreforestation initiatives. Park buffer zonesare extremely important in increasing theavailable habitat for wildlife, so by extendingthe forest cover this further helps inprotecting the wildlife.Huge steps are being made across thestate to conserve and manage Sarawak’svaluable and unique forests. In addition tosome 800,000 hectares of Totally ProtectedAreas (TPAs) that are off-limit to loggingcompanies, large areas of land classed as“terrain 4” (steep and hilly) areas, “HighConservation Value Forests”, buffer zonesand verified “Native Customary Rights” landremain pristine.CELEBRATING 20 YEARSWORLD HERITAGE STATUSIn November 2020, Mulu National Park inSarawak celebrates its 20th anniversary ofbeing named one of only 20 World Heritagesites in the world that qualify for a total offour world heritage criteria. These are:Superlative beauty – mountains, combinedwith huge river systems, a tropical rainforestand huge caves. The earth’s history and geofeatures are evident in the gigantic cavesand the Pinnacles. Visitors appreciate thebiodiversity and ecological processes whenadventure trekking or just strolling along thebotany trails.MEETING THE LOCALS –ORANG ULU, THE UPRIVERPEOPLEFrom the river-based Berawan tribes ofLong Terawan to the now settling Penan inthe villages of Batu Bungan and Long Iman:these are the Mulu locals and they play anintegral part in the affairs of Mulu NationalPark. These villages are also made accessiblefor tourists to visit, specifically to enjoy thelocal handicraft market and of course to trytheir hand at the weapon of choice – theblowpipe!River at MuluThe declared initiative by Sarawak's stategovernment to pursue responsible tourismunderpins the importance of other movesthat had already been initiated by the stateauthorities to protect forests and wildlife.16 ITB BERLIN NEWS 01 • WEDNESDAY 4 TH MARCH 2020www.itb-berlin-news.com
I TRADE TALK IDoing business - at ITB BerlinITB Buyers Circle: The exclusivemeeting place for leading buyersAccess to a premium circle at the World’s Leading Travel Trade Showfor the best buyers in the tourism industry – numerous advantages formembersNational and international decisionmakersfrom the leisure, businesstravel and MICE sectors, as well asstart-ups, are able, each year, to takeadvantage of free services offered bythe ITB Buyers Circle. The senior buyersof the ITB Buyers Circle benefit fromnumerous services which save timeand significantly improve efficiency aswell as ensuring a pleasant stay at theshow. The ITB Buyers Circle Loungeat the Marshall Haus offers a tranquilatmosphere where Wi-Fi, refreshmentsand a quiet area are available to theselected members. Buyers can makeuse of the Open Networking Area in thegallery and separate meeting rooms,which can be booked in advance, forin-depth meetings with exhibitors awayfrom the bustle of the fair.Other advantages of the ITB BuyersCircle include free admission, includingto the ITB Berlin Convention, earlyaccess via a fast lane to the exhibitiongrounds from 8.30 a.m., and shuttleservices.At the last ITB Berlin in March 201950% of the members had at least fivemillion euros at their disposal, 50% werefrom companies with more than 100employees, 60% had previously visitedITB Berlin at least four times, and 70%operated in Europe. 80% were involvedin the final decision-making process,70% were interested in Europeandestinations, 30% in Africa, 40% inAsian destinations, 20% in the USA, 10%in Australia and Oceania, and a further10% in Central and South America.HOME OF LUXURYITB’s partnership with Loop and Luxury Hotel & SpaManagement Ltd. has resulted in the new HOME OFLUXURY by ITB – the exclusive meeting place forluxury buyers at ITB Berlin at the Marshall Haus ofMesse Berlin. Participation in the HOME OF LUXURYalso includes membership of the current ITB BuyersCircle at ITB Berlin.As the name suggests, the "New Home of LuxuryTourism" is more than simply an exhibition area for theluxury market at each year's ITB show. Individual topicswill be assigned to different living areas, as in a privatehouse, where "New Luxury" can be experienced underthe heading "Back to Nature", The Garden, The Terrace,The Library and The Lounge are where providers andbuyers of luxury products can congregate in a special,almost private atmosphere, hold meetings, meet forpre-arranged individual talks, lunch together, take partin networking sessions, and round off the first day withdrinks after work.ITB BERLIN NEWS 01 • WEDNESDAY 4 TH MARCH 2020 17
