Cruise Ships Spur Sarawak's Tourism

KUCHING, Jan 10 (Bernama) -- The MV Orion II (Orion Expedition Cruises) from Australia, which is on its 10-night “Borneo-Rajahs, Riches & Rainforests” cruise, heralded the start of the 2012 season for cruise arrivals to Sarawak. Maurice Balang, Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) regional marketing manager for United Kingdom and Europe, said today that the ship, which sailed from Singapore, brought 100 passengers and 70 crew members to Sarawak, entering the Sim Kheng Hong Port in Pending here on Jan 2, via Bako National Park to Kuching. "We welcome these cruises and look forward to more of such arrivals this year. This is definitely a very good start to the New Year,” he said, adding that MV Orion II would then later sail to Pontianak in Kalimantan, cruising via Gunung Palung up to Tanjung Puting - Camp Leakey, Benoa in Kalimantan. The passengers -- mostly from Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, Indonesia, New Zealand and United States -- were welcomed on arrival in traditional Sarawak style by 10 members of a cultural troupe courtesy of STB, and took the opportunity to visit the orang utan in Semenggoh Wildlife Centre and tour Kuching city attractions, he said. He said MV Orion II is among the smallest expedition cruise ships arriving in Sarawak so far, and could berth close to shore due to its small size. Last year, about 2,000 tourists arrived via seven such cruises into the state, up from 1,500 in five cruises in 2010, Maurice said. "STB will continue to maintain their support for cruise ships berthing into Sarawak and encourage more cruise arrivals in the future," he said, adding that these cruise arrivals will be one of the important contributors to tourist arrivals in the state. -- BERNAMA