KUCHING: For the first time ever, the Star Karnival Cuti-Cuti Malaysia roadshow arrived on the shores of Borneo, showcasing our country’s best tourism products.
Thousands of visitors thronged the first day of the three-day event, which featured exhibitors like hotels, tourist attractions, theme parks, homestays and travel agencies.
The carnival, held at Plaza Merdeka here from Friday (Oct 17), also brought together an array of traditional cuisine from the peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak.
The event, the third instalment of the roadshow, was co-organised by Tourism Malaysia and Star Media Group, as part of a nationwide effort to spur domestic tourism and offer vibrant, family-friendly experiences for the community.
One of the visitors, Jonathan Nangkai James, 36, said the programme was good because it highlighted a wide range of tourism products to both foreign tourists and locals, including from Peninsular Malaysia.
“I saw many American tourists visiting the event, and they got to know more about our culture and products.
“It is a good platform for us to show off our products to both local and international eyes,” said the private sector worker.
Lidya Yusreena, 22, a civil servant, said the event was strategically located in a shopping mall in the middle of the city, so it would attract a lot of people.
Content creator Diyana Mustaffa, 25, said she felt proud to see brands from Sarawak being showcased.
“We hope this event can be held every year so that local products from Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia will also be promoted together in the state,” Diyana said.
Exhibitors at the roadshow were equally enthusiastic and hoped it would give tourism a boost, especially with the coming Visit Malaysia 2026.
A particularly striking booth was the Bidayuh Traditional Collection, which featured colourful accessories made from beads, as well as traditional attire from the Bidayuh community.
“One of our popular products is the lanyard for name tags,” said the collection’s owner, Angela Johiam Jitui.
She said many visitors were drawn to Sarawak because of its rich local culture and attractive tourist spots.
With a delicious spread of Sarawak layered cakes at her booth, Kek Lapis Sri Ratu owner Afifah Mohamad said she hoped more tourists would come to Kuching to experience its wonders.
“For us, we sell a variety of authentic kek lapis from Sarawak,” she said, adding that an example was kek lumut, a cake with a green appearance.
Another exhibitor, the Iconic Marjorie Hotel in Penang, set up its booth to attract more tourists, especially from Sarawak.
“We are a new hotel, opened last year. Currently, we have various promotions for both our hotel and service residence, with the latter being catered more to families,” said senior sales manager Noorsyafina Idrus.
Lotus Desaru Beach Resort & Spa director of sales and marketing Rohayat Din was excited to see the strong support in promoting Malaysian tourism.
“We welcome all to our resort in Desaru, Johor, and we offer all kinds of packages for government events, weddings and so on,” she said.
Borneo Empurau Farm & Resort director Abdullah Jawawi said its premises in Serian, Sarawak, was well received by visitors from China, Taiwan and Japan.
“We hope more tourists will come and experience our farm and resort in future.
“Not only is it a place for holidays, it can also be part of lessons outside school with our mini zoo,” he said.
The event features a total of 74 booths from exhibitors, comprising 28 tourism players like hotels and resorts.
Another 26 booths will showcase local craft while 20 others will feature food and beverage, including Malaysian heritage cuisine.
About 20,000 to 30,000 visitors are expected to attend the three-day roadshow, which runs from 10am to 9pm.
Tourism Malaysia deputy director-general (planning) Datin Rafidah Idris will launch the carnival on Saturday (Oct 18).
