A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by STB CEO Sharzede Datu Haji Salleh Askor, and PATA CEO Noor Ahmad Hamid, in the presence of STB Chairman YB Dato Dennis Ngau and PATA Chair Peter Semone. The MoU was signed on Thursday, May 16 at the PATA Annual Summit in Macao, China, during the Partnerships for Tomorrow session of the main conference.

“We are delighted to strengthen our collaboration with the Sarawak Tourism Board and look forward to the numerous activities we have planned over the next four years. PATA and STB have cultivated a strong relationship over the years, which heightens our excitement for this opportunity to collaborate closely on initiatives aimed at positioning Sarawak as a leading and exemplary destination in terms of sustainability,” said Noor.

PATA and the Sarawak Tourism Board agree to collaborate on several areas outlined in the MoU. These include enhancing tourism resilience and sustainable tourism practices, introducing carbon offset projects in Sarawak, engaging in joint advocacy and policy development activities, jointly organising events, and collaborating on green hospitality, urban sustainability and biodiversity conservation initiatives.

According to Sharzede, “We believe tourism is a catalyst for economic growth, cultural exchange, and social cohesion. Sarawak Tourism is proud to collaborate with PATA on initiatives that not only enhance tourism resilience and sustainability but also position Sarawak as the Gateway to Borneo. Through joint efforts in carbon offset projects, advocacy, and biodiversity conservation, we aim to showcase Sarawak’s rich natural heritage while leading the way in responsible tourism practices.”
The first activity outlined in the MoU is the Tourism Destination Resilience (TDR) capacity building programme, scheduled to take place in Kuching next week. On May 20 and 21, tourism officials will receive training on core modules of the TDR Programme. These modules cover topics such as risk assessment and management, crisis communication, adaptive capacity improvement, and diversification strategies, among others. Following this, on May 23 and 24, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the tourism sector will join a workshop on financial and digital skills, aiming to empower them with greater financial literacy and leverage digitalisation to enhance competitiveness.

Following the TDR Programme, PATA and STB will engage in further activities including a new series of workshops focused on ecotourism and community-based tourism development, waste management and reduction, and the implementation of sustainability certifications and carbon neutrality activities. Throughout the partnership, the MoU emphasises the importance of continuous monitoring, evaluation and adjustment to ensure the success of sustainable tourism initiatives in Sarawak.

About PATA
Founded in 1951, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is a not-for-profit membership association that acts as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from and within the Asia Pacific region. The Association provides aligned advocacy, insightful research, and innovative events to its member organisations, which including government, state and city tourism bodies; international airlines and airports; hospitality organisations, and educational institutions, as well as thousands of young tourism professional (YTP) members across the world. The PATA network also embraces the grassroots activism the PATA Chapters and Student Chapters, who organise numerous travel industry training programmes and business development events across the world. Thousands of travel professionals belong to the 32 local PATA Chapters worldwide, while hundreds of students are members of the 28 PATA Student Chapters globally. The PATAmPOWER platform delivers unrivalled data, forecasts, and insights from the PATA Strategic Intelligence Centre to members’ desktops and mobile devices anywhere in the world. PATA’s Head Office has been in Bangkok since 1998. The Association also has an official office in Beijing.