Liew (third right) launching the Borneo Expo 2024 at SICC today.
KOTA KINABALU (May 3): The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment, through its agency Sabah Tourism Board, is aggressively promoting Sabah as a preferred destination for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism.
Its minister, Datuk Christina Liew, said the ministry had set up the Sabah Convention Bureau to boost MICE tourism through roadshows abroad.
“We are doing very well in this respect. Beginning last year, Sabah has played host to MICE events where foreign companies rewarded their employees with incentive trips to Sabah, among other initiatives,” she said when launching Borneo Expo 2024 at Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) today.
Liew also said more than 10 MICE events have been planned for the current year, including the International Wholistic Wellness Conference & Expo (IWWCE 2024) and the 42nd Conference of the Asean Federation of Engineering Organisations (Cafeo 42).
“Borneo Expo 2024 is no exception being a MICE event. My ministry is always keen on supporting and promoting business events and business tourism as we are confident that such activities will spur economic and industrial growth in Sabah,” she added.
It was understood that the organising committee of Borneo Expo 2024 has invited more than 30 business associations, and over 100 visitors from outside of Sabah.
According to Liew, having delegates from more than 10 countries to come together for this business tourism event raises the hope of bridging Sabahans with the global economy.
“I am also pleased to note that the Borneo Expo 2024 has taken the initiative to invite non-Sabahans such as Sarawakians and West Malaysians from KL, Selangor, Melaka, Johor and many other states.
“They have also invited participants from Taiwan, Singapore, China, Indonesia, Thailand and many more countries around the world. Thus, economic opportunities are open to not just tourism industry players but also to all other related business sectors,” she added.
Liew stressed more exhibitions or expos of this nature should be organised, especially for the benefit of local economy, as this is how Sabahan businesses grow to be more competitive and innovative.
