Sarawak Boosts Community Tourism Efforts with Enhanced Tourism Task Group Support, Here’s All You Need to Know

Published on November 26, 2025

Sarawak is enhancing its grassroots tourism development for the first time in Sarawak by managing the TTG at the division level in the Sarawak state units. The Sarawak government manages the TTG as community-based tourism activities organizers and coordinators. The Sarawak TTG is an inclusive tourism development activity. The Sarawak TTGs provide community-based tourism developmental activities and promote rural tourism.

During the DUN, the TTG Sarawak Deputy Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Datuk Sebastian Ting DUN, pointed out the other activities of the South which contribute to the tourism development of Sarawak. TTGs initiated partnerships between government, industry, and community stakeholders to pioneer tourism development at the grassroots level.

A Coordinated System for Ground-Level Tourism Development

Each Tourism Task Group operates under the leadership of the Divisional Resident, providing a structured platform where a diverse group of stakeholders can collaborate. Representatives from government bodies, local tourism operators, and community members work together to identify issues, propose solutions, and support the development of tourism initiatives relevant to their local areas.

Strengthening the TTGs also aligns with Sarawak’s strategy to ensure that tourism development is inclusive and economically beneficial across all regions. By involving local communities in the planning and decision-making processes, the government aims to create sustainable tourism models that reflect the cultural, environmental, and economic uniqueness of each division.

Integration with the Sarawak Tourism Coordination Committee

The TTGs operate in close connection with the Sarawak Tourism Coordination Committee (STCC), the body that oversees tourism development at the state level. The Divisional Resident, who chairs each TTG, also serves as a member of the STCC. This connection ensures that local issues that cannot be resolved within the TTGs can be escalated to the STCC for more comprehensive action.

The STCC meets three times a year, with sessions hosted on a rotating basis across Sarawak’s divisions. During these meetings, Divisional Residents provide updates on tourism activities, challenges faced by their TTGs, and proposals for new initiatives. This structure strengthens vertical coordination between local and state-level tourism bodies, ensuring continuous dialogue and streamlined decision-making.

Supporting Local Tourism Events and Cultural Icons

As part of the effort to boost the visibility and effectiveness of TTGs, the Sarawak Ministry of Tourism supports divisional signature events included in the official Sarawak Calendar of Events. These local festivals and tourism showcases play a key role in promoting each division’s unique offerings—whether cultural, natural, or adventure-based.

Several of these signature events have also been registered for intellectual property (IP) protection, ensuring their identities and branding are preserved. This helps maintain authenticity while allowing events to grow into recognized tourism assets that attract both domestic and international visitors.

Exposure to Global Tourism Markets

To further empower TTG leaders, the Ministry periodically includes TTG chairpersons in Sarawak’s delegation to major international tourism exhibitions such as Internationale-Börse Berlin (ITB) and the World Travel Market (WTM) London. These global platforms provide invaluable insight into tourism trends, product development, and marketing strategies used by leading destinations worldwide.

This exposure enables TTG leaders to bring back fresh ideas and best practices that can be adapted to local tourism development. Learning from successful global case studies helps divisions strengthen their offerings and enhance their appeal to international travelers seeking unique cultural and nature-based experiences.

Increased Funding to Strengthen Local Programmes

In a move to boost operational capacity, the annual grant allocation for each Tourism Task Group has been doubled from RM5,000 to RM10,000. This financial boost will support the planning and facilitation of local tourism programmes, events, and activities that can stimulate economic growth and attract visitors to areas outside Sarawak’s main urban centres.

The increased funding reflects the government’s commitment to ensuring that TTGs have the resources needed to drive community-based tourism development. This includes supporting village homestays, nature-based attractions, cultural performances, local handicraft activities, and community-led ecotourism initiatives.

Improving Sarawak’s Appeal for Domestic and International Travelers

The strengthening of the Sarawak’s TTGs is one of the improvements which boosts the Sarawak tourism industry. Improved coordination, funding, and collaboration with the communities result in developing a more integrated tourism experience for Sarawak visitors.

More accessible and improved tourism experiences and infrastructure as well as more authentic community experiences and improved accessibility to hidden gems are the tourism benefits of the Sarawak Visitors. Improved tourism experiences that are integrated and supported by authentic social structures are available to tourists visiting local cultural festivals, Indigenous Borneo cultures, and rural Borneo ecosystems.

The renewed TTGs will also strengthen Sarawak’s goal of being a top tier destination for eco, cultural and community tourism. As the TTGs are renewed, a more equitable and inclusive tourism future is created for the communities and travelers.