KUCHING: Lundu in the western tip of Sarawak has been earmarked as the Dubai of the state, said Sarawak Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
He said tourism will be the key socio-economic development in the region.
He said commissioned studies had prioritised tourism-related development and priorities had been identified so that the projects and programmes could be packaged for the 13th Malaysia Plan.
This was part of his winding-up speech at the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly today.
He said the Sarawak Forestry Corporation had implemented initiatives for conservation and to provide tourists with unique experiences at sea turtles nesting beaches, particularly the Talang Satang Islands and the Tanjung Datu National Park.
"The initiatives include the Sea Turtle Conservation Programme and the Sea Turtle Adoption Programme, which began at the Talang Satang National Park in 2005 to create awareness about the importance of protecting endangered sea turtles," Karim said.
He said the state ministry and the federal Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry would increase the number of homestays and improve their management to address the lack of accommodation in Lundu.
He said Kuching had submitted a bid to host the 2026 Unesco conference to bolster its position as a gastronomy city under the Unesco Creative Cities Network.
"Over the last three years, Kuching has been showcased at notable events, like the Shanghai Design Cities Conference, Jakarta's Ideasfest and the 16th Unesco Conference in Braga, Portugal.
"In alignment with these global efforts, the Mondiacult survey for Kuching was submitted in June 2024."
He said the survey was a policy report involving multiple agencies under the state ministry that will contribute to Unesco's push to recognise culture as a global public good and as part of sustainable development.
Karim said his ministry had established the Sarawak Creative Industry Coordination Committee, comprising task groups and creative experts that will be responsible for creative arts, culture, heritage, media production and design.
"This year, my ministry is developing a creative industry directory to establish a comprehensive database of all creative industry players in Sarawak."