Sarawak in Malaysia will host the 3rd Southeast Asian Tourist Guides Conference 2026, 13-15 October 2026 at Kingwood Hotel in Sibu. The event aims to strengthen ASEAN guiding standards and should position Sarawak as an impact-driven business events destination.
Following the success of the inaugural conference in Kuching in 2024, and in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2026, the upcoming conference is expected to attract 1,000 delegates from across Southeast Asia. Organised by the Sarawak Tourist Guides Association in collaboration with the Malaysian Tourist Guides Council and supported by Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak), the conference will serve as a strategic intervention to address tourist guiding industry challenges and enhance collaboration among tourism frontliners in Southeast Asia.
Under the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030, the state of Sarawak is targeting a 7.5% annual growth in visitor arrivals by 2030. Achieving this will depend not only on attracting visitors, but on delivering quality experiences. Under discussion will be challenges including the the tourism guiding profession facing increasing challenges, including the rise of digital and AI-driven travel tools, evolving visitor expectations, and a shortage of qualified guides.
“Sarawak is setting its sights on welcoming five million visitors in 2026, but beyond the numbers, our priority is ensuring the quality of experience we deliver,” said the honourable datuk Snowdan Lawan, deputy minister for creative industry and performing arts Sarawak, representing the state’s minister for tourism. “Tourist guides are storytellers, cultural ambassadors, and the frontline of how our destination is understood and remembered.”
“Sustaining this growth requires a highly skilled, future-ready tourism workforce. That is why we are positioning this conference as a dedicated platform for learning and professional development, while accelerating the training of new Registered Regional Specific Tourist Guides and Sarawak Park Guides to build a strong, resilient talent pipeline for the future,” the deputy minister continued.
“The role of a tourist guide is becoming more demanding in a fast-changing, digital world. This conference focuses on strengthening regional networks and building meaningful collaborations to elevate the profession,” said Edwin Lim, honorary chairman of the Sarawak Tourist Guides Association. “We have chosen Sibu as the host city to support inclusive tourism development, creating opportunities and sharing the benefits of tourism and business events across Sarawak. Through this, we aim to create impact beyond Sarawak and contribute to the growth of Malaysia’s and Southeast Asia’s tourism.”
“Business events today must deliver more than attendance. They must deliver impact,” said Jason Tan Chin Foo, acting CEO of BESarawak. “Regional collaboration among tourist guides is key to that impact. Through this conference, we are strengthening legacy outcomes and advancing a high-value tourism economy while positioning Sarawak as the legacy capital of business events in Malaysia and Borneo.”
For more information, visit https://www.sktga.org/
