KUCHING: For the first time ever, the Star Karnival
Cuti-Cuti Malaysia roadshow arrived on the shores of Borneo, showcasing our
country’s best tourism products.
Thousands of visitors thronged the first day of the
three-day event, which featured exhibitors like hotels, tourist attractions,
theme parks, homestays and travel agencies.
The carnival, held at Plaza Merdeka here from Friday (Oct
17), also brought together an array of traditional cuisine from the peninsula,
Sabah and Sarawak.
The event, the third instalment of the roadshow, was
co-organised by Tourism Malaysia and Star Media Group, as part of a nationwide
effort to spur domestic tourism and offer vibrant, family-friendly experiences
for the community.
One of the visitors, Jonathan Nangkai James, 36, said the programme
was good because it highlighted a wide range of tourism products to both
foreign tourists and locals, including from Peninsular Malaysia.
“I saw many American tourists visiting the event, and they got to
know more about our culture and products.
“It is a good platform for us to show off our products to both local
and international eyes,” said the private sector worker.
Lidya Yusreena, 22, a civil servant, said the event was
strategically located in a shopping mall in the middle of the city, so it would
attract a lot of people.
Content creator Diyana Mustaffa, 25, said she felt proud to see
brands from Sarawak being showcased.
“We hope this event can be held every year so that local products
from Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia will also be promoted together in the
state,” Diyana said.
Exhibitors at the roadshow were equally enthusiastic and hoped it
would give tourism a boost, especially with the coming Visit Malaysia 2026.
A particularly striking booth was the Bidayuh Traditional
Collection, which featured colourful accessories made from beads, as well as
traditional attire from the Bidayuh community.
“One of our popular products is the lanyard for name tags,” said the
collection’s owner, Angela Johiam Jitui.
She said many visitors were drawn to Sarawak because of its rich
local culture and attractive tourist spots.
With a delicious spread of Sarawak layered cakes at her booth, Kek
Lapis Sri Ratu owner Afifah Mohamad said she hoped more tourists would come to
Kuching to experience its wonders.
“For us, we sell a variety of authentic kek lapis from Sarawak,” she
said, adding that an example was kek lumut, a cake with a green appearance.
Another exhibitor, the Iconic Marjorie Hotel in Penang, set up its
booth to attract more tourists, especially from Sarawak.
“We are a new hotel, opened last year. Currently, we have various
promotions for both our hotel and service residence, with the latter being
catered more to families,” said senior sales manager Noorsyafina Idrus.
Lotus Desaru Beach Resort & Spa director of sales and marketing
Rohayat Din was excited to see the strong support in promoting Malaysian
tourism.
“We welcome all to our resort in Desaru, Johor, and we offer all
kinds of packages for government events, weddings and so on,” she said.
Borneo Empurau Farm & Resort director Abdullah Jawawi said its
premises in Serian, Sarawak, was well received by visitors from China, Taiwan
and Japan.
“We hope more tourists will come and experience our farm and resort
in future.
“Not only is it a place for holidays, it can also be part of lessons
outside school with our mini zoo,” he said.
The event features a total of 74 booths from exhibitors, comprising
28 tourism players like hotels and resorts.
Another 26 booths will showcase local craft while 20 others will
feature food and beverage, including Malaysian heritage cuisine.
About 20,000 to 30,000 visitors are expected to attend the three-day
roadshow, which runs from 10am to 9pm.
Tourism Malaysia deputy director-general (planning) Datin Rafidah
Idris will launch the carnival on Saturday (Oct 18).
-thestar online.