MUKAH: The state has no plans to postpone its tourism events at the moment.
Tourism Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg said this is because the state’s tourism sector is not really affected by the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.
“After all, our Chinese (China) market for the tourism sector is not as large as Sabah. The activities we have planned for this year will still go on,” he told a media conference in Kampung Tellian on Wednesday.
He said among the activities are the Kaul Festival here, Tidal Bore Festival in Sri Aman, Rainforest World Music Festival in Kuching and Borneo Jazz Festival in Miri.
Abang Johari explained that the MH370 incident will not really affect tourism in the state because besides north-south bound tourists – travelling from Australia to Europe and vice versa – Sarawak also has domestic tourists.
He pointed out that there has been an increase in tourists arrivals because of medical tourism.
“That is why we have another hospital – Borneo Medical Centre in Kuching, other than the existing ones like Normah Medical Centre and KPJ – Kuching Specialist Hospital.
“A lot of Indonesians are coming to the state to get medical treatment. Apparently, what happened is there are some who used to go to Singapore to get medical treatment who have now started coming to Kuching,” he said.
He attributed this partly to Sarawakian specialists previously working in Singapore, who have returned to offer their services in Kuching.
“One of the reasons people start coming to Kuching is because the cost of treatment in Singapore, especially accommodation, is very expensive,” he said.
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