MALAYSIA- Through its organization Sabah Tourism Board, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Environment is actively pushing Sabah as a top travel destination for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) travel.
The ministry established the Sabah Convention Bureau, according to its minister, Datuk Christina Liew, to promote MICE travel by way of international roadshows.
“We’re doing great in this regard. In addition to such initiatives, overseas corporations have been rewarding their staff with incentive visits to Sabah through MICE events that Sabah has hosted since last year, the speaker stated today at the Borneo Expo 2024 opening at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC).
According to Liew, there are over ten MICE events scheduled for this year, such as the 42nd Conference of the Asean Federation of Engineering Organizations (Cafeo 42) and the International Wholistic Wellness Conference & Expo (IWWCE 2024).
“As a MICE event, Borneo Expo 2024 is not an exception. “We are convinced that business events and business tourism will drive economic and industrial growth in Sabah, which is why my ministry is always eager to support and promote them,” she continued.
It was understood that about 30 business associations and over 100 people from outside Sabah had been invited by the Borneo Expo 2024 organizing team.
Liew says that the presence of representatives from over ten nations at this business tourism gathering gives rise to the prospect of connecting Sabahans with the international economy.
“I am also happy to see that Sarawakians and West Malaysians from KL, Selangor, Melaka, Johor, and many other states have been invited by the Borneo Expo 2024 on their initiative.
Participants have also been invited from Taiwan, Singapore, China, Indonesia, Thailand, and a host of other nations. Therefore, not only do players in the tourism industry have access to economic prospects, but all other linked business sectors do as well,” she continued.
Liew emphasized that more of these kinds of displays or expos should be held, particularly for the sake of the local economy, as this is how Sabahan enterprises develop into more inventive and competitive ones.
