According to Datu Sherrina Husaini, transportation is essential to the hotel sector, and the interaction between the two is similar to a carefully planned ballet.

In her presentation yesterday at the Sarawak Transport Conference 2023, which was conducted in connection with the 10th BIMP-EAGA Transport Cluster Meeting, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts made note of this.

"Consider a dance that is carefully orchestrated, where each movement elicits a mesmerizing spectrum in perfect harmony. These dances are used to compare transportation and tourism because neither can thrive without the other.

"Sarawak, located on Borneo, the third-largest island in the world, has welcomed tourists from all over the world with its huge jungle, different cultures, and traditions.

But how do they get to our countries, transport our tales, and tell them to the rest of the world? Transportation holds the key, she asserted.

She went on to say that the development of the BIMP-EAGA (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area) region depends heavily on both the transportation and tourist sectors.

Sherrina presented on the subject of "Transport and Tourism Sectors Working Hand-in-Hand for a Common Goal: A Sarawak Tourism Perspective," which is highly relevant to the goals of the area and draws on her more than 30 years of experience working with various ministries and organizations.

Sherrina's 15-minute lecture emphasized the necessity of collaboration between the transportation and tourist industries to spur Sarawak's growth.

Sherrina further mentioned that despite the difficulties caused by the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak, Sarawak managed to attract over 4 million tourists this year.

She also emphasized the value of responsible travel as a tool for bringing about change.

"Responsible tourism is not only another type or product of tourism. Instead, it is a call to action that calls for communal efforts through tourism and a change in behavior as a means of bringing about beneficial changes for a bigger purpose.

To foster collaborations among stakeholders in the transportation and tourism sectors, Sarawak is considering implementing a responsible tourism policy.

"We cannot expect people to complete all the work for us by simply giving speeches here. We must take the initiative to alter our behavior and demonstrate a strong political commitment to collaborating with others for the greater good, she said.

"PCDS 2030 emphasizes high-quality growth, inclusion, and the digital economy; it is not only a recovery plan for the pandemic's aftermath.

"As we improve transportation infrastructure—whether it be for air, land, or water—integrating

"To ensure Sarawak's development is future-proof, it is our responsibility to continue being creative, brave, and accountable.

Let's work to create a delicate, equable dance between transportation and tourism that will be remembered by future generations.