Welcome Rakan Sarawak April 2003

Rangkaian Khidmat Awam Negeri Sarawak

A MONTHLY SUPPLEMENT OF RAKAN SARAWAK BULLETIN

(People, events, activities and programmes which make for a total quality-managed Sarawak Civil Service)

ISSN 1394-5726

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Towards Increasing Sarawak’s Market Share of the MICE Business

Government Departments and Agencies’ involvement is vital in promoting Sarawak as a destination for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions (MICE).

Quality service at the airport counters contributes to the good image of Sarawak and may lead to a repeat visit

Sarawak Tourism Board reiterates the need for a teamwork approach in promoting Sarawak as a MICE destination with a competitive edge. “We need an ever-increasing involvement from the government departments and agencies, private sector as well as correlated organizations” said Mr. Jean Christopher Robles- Espinoza, STB’s Director for Marketing & Promotions, at the official opening of the two-day MICE Seminar held recently in Kuching.

He also believed that by working together – the marketing side, the operational side, and the institutional side- the State has a greater chance of positioning Sarawak as a destination ahead or at par with its competitors. This will also mean more benefits to the Sarawak economy and well-being of its people.

Recent years have witnessed that competition for this MICE market, though lucrative, is tough. Statistics from the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) show that in 2002, Europe and America received 70% share of the international meetings market while Asia and the Pacific regions had a market share of 22%. Within the meetings held in Asia/ Pacific, Malaysia got nearly 5% market share.

One of the factors that will make Sarawak as a preferred destination will largely depend on the quality of service given to the delegates/ visitors at the airport counters. Efficiency of the personnel at the Immigration counters, for instance, will contribute to the good image of Sarawak and may lead to a repeat visit.

The MICE aspect is one of the focus for the tourism industry in the State as MICE events bring in three times as many visitors and almost five times in tourist revenues as compared to regular tourists. STB has been actively promoting the MICE market since its inception in 1995 and formed a special unit for this purpose. They have embarked on setting databases of suppliers and facilities, website and other events to further promote the MICE market.

STB and Sarawak Development Institute (SDI) jointly organized the two-day seminar parti-cipated by about 50 participants comprising of representatives from government departments, travel and tour agencies, event managers, hoteliers and the media.

The seminar served as platform for discussing Sarawak’s strengths and weaknesses in attracting the MICE market in the State as well as in formulating strategies to better market Sarawak as a destination.

The topics covered at the seminar include Understanding the Global and its MICE Segment, Working Smarter with Your Strengths and Weaknesses, Gaining a Marketing Edge, Developing Alliances and Attracting Sponsorship.