Sarawak steps up push for Indian travellers ahead of Visit Malaysia Year 2026

From second left, at OTM India 2026: STB chairman Dato Dennis Ngau; STB CEO Dr Sharzede Salleh Askor; Deputy Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak (Tourism) Datuk Sebastian Ting; Mauritius Tourism Minister Christian Harold Richard Duval; Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak, Dato Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah; and Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak permanent secretary Morshidi Fredrick.

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, Feb 5: Sarawak is intensifying efforts to attract Indian travellers at India’s leading travel trade exhibition Outbound Travel Mart (OTM) 2026 in Mumbai, India, as Malaysia aims to welcome two million visitors from the country under Visit Malaysia Year 2026.

The Sarawak delegation was led by Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, alongside Deputy Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts I (Tourism), Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) chairman Dato Dennis Ngau, and STB chief executive officer Dr Sharzede Salleh Askor.

According to a press release issued by STB, Abdul Karim delivered a keynote intervention during the inaugural session at the exhibition, highlighting Sarawak’s readiness to meet growing outbound travel demand from India, while Dr Sharzede shared insights at the forum “Beyond the Usual: Mapping Where Indian Travellers Will Go Next”, outlining the State’s product development strategies for the next wave of Indian visitors.

“At OTM 2026, Sarawak positioned itself as a distinctive, experience-led destination, highlighting its core tourism pillars of Culture, Adventure, Nature, Food and Festivals (CANFF).

“Emphasis was placed on immersive, nature-led and heritage-rich experiences that resonate strongly with the Indian market, including iconic attractions such as the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Mulu National Park and Niah National Park,” STB said.

Prior to the official opening of OTM 2026, the Sarawak delegation conducted high-level visits to strengthen diplomatic and academic ties, including a courtesy visit to the Consulate General of Malaysia in Mumbai to meet Consul General Ahmad Zuwairi Yusoff.

This was followed by an academic partnership mission to Somaiya Vidyavihar University alongside UCSI University Sarawak Campus to promote education tourism, a key niche segment for the Indian market. This collaboration aimed to establish academic benchmarks in hospitality, tourism and culinary arts through faculty and student exchanges and joint research. — DayakDaily