Informative and helpful…tourists are given all the help they needed to enjoy the facilities Sarawak has to offer

In any particular country, tourism is becoming an important revenue earner and this is true for Malaysia.

For Sarawak, it is now the trend to market its potential in ecotourism. The number of tourists arriving in a country depends on many factors amongst which are the local attractions available, peace and stability, the friendliness of the local people and the availability of information centres.

Many tourists who have been to Sarawak have found that they have chosen the right destination. Ask any tourist on the street and you will surely be delighted to hear heaps of praises about Sarawak.

Some say they would even come back for a repeat visit, as they have grown very fond of the places they have been to.

Sarawak is well known for its uniqueness as a holiday destination with a difference. And one thing that has made it popular amongst tourists is the efficient service provided by its Visitors Information Centres (VIC).

One of the important functions of any VIC is to offer information to tourists about the many interesting and varied places to visit in the state. Anyone who has been on a tour to any country would find the existence of a tourist information centre a much welcome sight and an added bonus.

For those tourists visiting our state who prefer to go off the beaten track, the VIC in Kuching and Miri assist them in securing a permit if they want to see our National Parks. The VIC can also book accommodation for them at the Parks.

Besides being a boon to tourists, the VIC also caters for schools and colleges which have tourism programmes or courses for their students.

The VIC can also accommodate requests from children and people with special needs.

For the media, familiarisation tours to places of historical interests and other attractions are regularly organised.

At present VICs are situated at Kuching, Kuching International Airport, in Sibu and Miri. The VIC in Kuching was set up in July 1988 by the then Ministry of Environment and Tourism. It was formerly known as the Sarawak Tourist Information Centre. In 1995, it moved to its present day premises atop a hill at Jalan Masjidwhich is a stone throw walking distance from tourist attractions such as the Waterfront and Sarawak Museum. In March 1996, the Sarawak Tourist Information Centre was handed over to the Sarawak Tourism Board and renamed Visitors' Information Centre.

The VIC in Miri was set up in December 1995 and is located at Miri Mini Garden, Jalan Melayu, Miri. The Sibu VIC was established in November 1996. It is situated at the Ground Floor of the Sarawak Hotel, Sibu. In March 2001, a VIC was established at the 1st floor of the Kuching International Airport, making it the fourth such centre to operate within Sarawak.

The following are comments from some tourists who stopped by at our VICs:

Frick & Toby

(United Kingdom)

, "Been here for the fifth time - an excellent tourist information centre"

Gregoire & Kathy (Switzerland)

, "The most helpful tourist information centre we have seen. Keep up the good work"

Tom Thursby & Alex Hale

, (New Zealand)

"Good brochures and helpful staff"