Sarawak! - Borneo Talk

ScoreMiri Jazz Festival •By thewater’sedgeNatural beautyof hydropowerlakes underSCORE addsto tourismpotentialMulu National Park •• Sarawak Cultural VillageInternationally recognized asone of the mega biodiversityareas, Sarawak’s rich heritage ofnatural beauty and diversity has beena major pulling factor for tourismand related activities here. The addedflavours of internationally acclaimedRainforest World Music Festival, MiriJazz Festival, World Heritage Site,Gunung Mulu National Park andaward winning Sarawak CulturalVillage have all contributed to thegrowing success of the tourism sectortoo. Now that tourism is designatedas one of the ten priority industriesin SCORE (Sarawak Corridor ofRenewable Energy), to furtherenhance development of the country,the sector is bound to get additionalboost to become a major revenueearner for the State in years to come.Rainforest World Music Festival •6 | BorneoTalkOct-Dec2011Borneo Highland •• Pinnacles at Mulu National ParkMajority of the tourism potential under SCORE area will be concentratingon the wide open sandy beaches at Samalaju and towns scattered alongthe coastal belt and interior like Tanjung Manis, Mukah, Semop, Balingian,Selangau, Samarakan, Bakun, Baram, Tunoh and Ng. Merit. The traditionallifestyle of the people have always been a key factor for the attraction oftourists, charmed by the natural smiles and courteousness displayed as well astheir unique dances, costumes and food. As more areas are developed underSCORE, the growing infrastructure facilities will enable even more areas tobe reached easily, meaning that small townsand rural villages will also be able to benefitfrom the tourism reach into these areas.Naturally the hydropowerdams will also be touristattractions for a varietyof activities ranging fromfishing, water sports and beautiful scenery. The variety ofwildlife converging on these dams will continue to grow overtime as new habitats are created. Unlike traditional tourism,these newly established tours would focus on longer stay and group-packages asthere will be more adventures in the wide expanse of the lake. Local communitieswill stand to benefit most from these expanded tourism packagesand lead to more stable income for these rural folks.www.spu.sarawak.gov.my