Monday, August 07, 2017

Potential generation of tourism dollars for Sarawak through sports events


KUCHING: Sports tourism could serve as a viable platform to draw in more tourism dollars for the state.

According to Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) commission member Dato Wee Hong Seng, the ongoing synergy between the government, corporate sector and sports bodies is seen as a catalyst for such development.

“I believe that our Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg had this foresight when he combined the portfolios of Youth and Sports with Tourism, Arts and Culture under one ministry, with Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah being the minister in-charge.

“As far as SBBA is concerned, it is our hope that through our events, we would be able to contribute in our own way to the development of sports tourism in Sarawak,” he spoke at the opening of the fourth annual Mr Boulevard/Mr BBS bodybuilding championships, staged at the Atrium of Boulevard Shopping Mall here on Saturday.

Wee, who is also Sarawak Bodybuilding Association (SBBA) president, pointed out that the state government knew about this very potential, as seen during last year’s Malaysia Games where promotions were intensified and sports facilities across the state underwent upgrading.

“Still, the national event was not the sole trigger of sports tourism in Sarawak; many of the facilities had been set up long before that to ensure that this area of tourism would continue to thrive and prosper,” he said.

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