<b>Kuching</b>' s got it right as a global destination - eTurboNews.com |
- <b>Kuching</b>' s got it right as a global destination - eTurboNews.com
- Discover NYP: Wong Fu Productions:Building Homes in <b>Kuching</b>
- <b>Kuching</b> target top four finish - The Borneo Post Online
- Ministry looks forward to <b>Kuching</b>-Shenzhen direct flights <b>...</b>
| <b>Kuching</b>' s got it right as a global destination - eTurboNews.com Posted: 21 Feb 2014 12:15 AM PST A journey to Sarawak offers visitors the experience of natural wonders, lush rainforests and rich diverse communities and cultures. This experience is further enhanced by high quality infrastructure and services within the state capital, Kuching. Kuching as a tourism destination already possesses the necessary building blocks of becoming an international attraction for all travellers. English is widely spoken in Kuching, making it very easy for travellers to move around comfortably in the city and benefit from the convenience of English signs at facilities for transport connections, public service information centres and meeting spaces. Prices of hotels in the city are reasonable and are of good value. The city's celebration of tradition and heritage, as well as unique attractions like the world's first cat museum adds to Kuching's charm. Kuching International Airport's (KIA) close proximity to the city centre and its links to major airport hubs such as Kuala Lumpur and Singapore offers the convenience of connectivity for business travellers and holidaymakers. KIA is also close to other hubs such as Hong Kong and Bangkok, as well as under a five-hour flight away from cities in Southern China, Taiwan, Korea and Japan. Kuching's readiness for the world is illustrated by its hosting of Routes Asia 2014 from March 9 -11, a must attend event for those in the regional aviation industry to be held at the Borneo Convention Centre. Set in a cape surrounded by the Santubong and Sarawak rivers, the centre offers the tranquility of Sarawak's natural environment, without neglecting the technological advancements needed to host Asia's largest aviation forum. We disagree with those who view Kuching as failing to capture the attention of travellers compared to destinations such as Bangkok or Bali. Those views vary and depend on different origin markets. We believe Kuching has what it takes to be a sophisticated niche tourism destination reflected in the successfulll organizing of the annual Rainforest Music Festival, an event that brings in high quality artists and performances. Set in a beautiful and natural setting, some 35 kilometres from Kuching, past Rainforest Festivals have drawn in the crowds to experience an amazing variety of acts - everything from a UK band performing a fusion of bhangra and rock to Pacific Islanders using water to make music. The setting in which the Rainforest Festival is held is made even more special given Kuching's own rich cultural diversity, in particular its unique mix of Iban, Bidayuh, Malay and Chinese cultures. It is exactly this type of world event that has put Kuching on the world tourist map, consistently drawing international crowds of music lovers yearly to attend the three-day event. Without a doubt, such high-calibre events can be a catalyst for Kuching to be bigger than what it is at the moment. PATA recognises that ASEAN has emerged as a global leader of sophisticated niche tourism products with a caring and community touch, and we see that Kuching demonstrates this trait well. PATA is aware of the efforts of government wanting to 'jazz up' Kuching, turning it into the next Bali, or equivalent destination in the region. However these efforts must be ongoing, and most importantly sustainable. At PATA, we believe that success can only come about if there are economic benefits to the local community and if the local cultures are preserved. We encourage tourism markets to develop sustainable travel models that leave little or no footprint on our planetand be aware of their activities that affect the surrounding environments. Also there must not be a dilution of products that are already in existence. Focus must be given to the quality of these products and not necessarily the quantity. When Kuching is 'sold' to the world, it must move beyond regional shores and target global markets for it to be an international brand name. Within the PATA community, awareness of Kuching's attractions is high. In fact in 2010, we organised our Annual General Meeting and conference in the Sarawak state capital. Awareness about Kuching within ASEAN and Australia is strong, and also within the tourism and aviation circles, but unfortunately not much more outside these familiar networks. We are certain that Kuching is well-known in Southeast Asia but there is definitely room for improvement to target more medium and long-haul markets. Strong marketing efforts can be achieved through the co-operation of tourist associations, state government, airports, hoteliers and airlines.  | ||||
| Discover NYP: Wong Fu Productions:Building Homes in <b>Kuching</b> Posted: 24 Feb 2014 12:43 AM PST
For those who have never heard of Wong Fu, founders Philip Wang, Wesley Chan and Ted Fu have been behind many of the thought-provoking films on life and relationships that many young people can relate to. Some of their most popular short films include Yellow Fever and Strangers, Again, the latter garnered close to 14 million views and featured YouTube personalities such as David Choi and Cathy Nguyen. The trio also produced music videos for famous artistes like Wang Leehom and worked with companies like Subaru and Twilight actor Justin Chon. Currently, their total viewership stands at more than 300 million, and they have over 2 million subscribers worldwide! Their work has also been recognized by the media and institutions like CNN, the 2008 Cannes Film Festival and even the White House (they met US President Barack Obama in 2011).
Partnered with Soulheartist, which is in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity Singapore, the guys lent their hands as labourers in the construction of a much needed housing on a site in Kuching, Malaysia for three days in February. They were joined by local celebrity Paul Foster together with the Soulheartist team to build a new home for a family in need.
What did you guys do to prepare for the field trip? Phil: I got a tetanus shot and that's about all. It was late, too. They said it would take around two weeks to kick in. I had the shot the day before we came to Singapore. Have you guys done any sort of community work before? Phil: This is my first time working with Habitat and I too, want to make sure it's good. Do you have any fears about the trip? Are you worried if the locals can't understand you? Paul Foster: I think when we work, the language and cultural barrier will be insignificant, since we are building walls for their home. As the boys mentioned, the first thing is to actually build something that stays up and gives them proper shelter and warmth. When we do that, everything else is secondary. Will you be inspired to do a short film on the lives of these people in Kuching? Where's Ted? ----- Apparently, they will be producing their first-ever movie, and are currently raising funds via the crowdfunding platform, Indiegogo. So far, they have raised more than half of their US$200,000 goal. To find out more about their movie, check out this site. If successfully funded, the film would take shape in a story about two couples faced with different challenges in their relationships. Ultimately, the couples will learn how love changes over time and how to love again after being hurt. Wong Fu has definitely paved the way for a better society, and I would definitely consider being a part of all their causes. How about you, fellow readers? HOW YOU CAN BE A PART OF THIS SOCIAL CAUSE  If you want to support Wong Fu in this social movement, you can do so by going to Soulheartist's website and subscribing to one of Wong Fu & Habitat for Humanity's (WFHH) plans. There are different plans, and you can choose how you want to financially help the boys make better lives for underprivileged families. Not only will you support Wong Fu's cause, you will also receive a Wong Fu Productions Soulheartist Pack, which includes a signed poster by Wong Fu and other exclusive goodies. If you would like a slice of the action, volunteer with Habitat for Humanity Singapore! There are many similar projects you can physically help out with. By Ho Khin Wai, Year 3, Diploma in Banking & Finance ----- Khin Wai started writing for NYP Portal in 2011 out of interest and was soon "addicted" to it. He has also written book reviews for Straits Times YA Classified. Besides writing, he loves singing and has performed for various events in NYP under NYP Soundcard.  | ||||
| <b>Kuching</b> target top four finish - The Borneo Post Online Posted: 20 Feb 2014 08:37 AM PST by Ting Tieng Hee, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on February 21, 2014, Friday Team face daunting task against favourites Sibu, Kota Samarahan at age group c'ship KUCHING: The Kuching team will be looking to give other teams a good run for their money in Group 3 and Group 4 categories at the three-day 41st Sarawak Age Group Swimming Championship at Bukit Lima Swimming Pool, Sibu starting today. Comprising 39 swimmers from Kuching Amateur Swimming Association (Kasa) 2010 and The Sarawak Club, they are aiming to finish among the top four teams in the three-day championship. Head coach Anthony Kong said yesterday he was expecting the team's Group 3 and Group 4 swimmers to pose a stiff challenge to other teams. "Our main objective is to give exposure to the younger swimmers and let them experience how the competition is like outside Kuching," he said. "We want to see how our young swimmers fare in the championship and we shall work on their strengths and weaknesses and prepare them for future championships." "Give us a year or two and I can see them posing a serious challenge in the age group championship," he added. Kong, who is also Kasa 2010 advisor and head coach, is expecting it to be a two-way battle for supremacy between Sibu Amateur Swimming Association (Sasa) and Kota Samarahan Amateur Swimming Association (Kotas). Kotas, who are fielding the biggest team of 49 swimmers including national swimmers in Vernon Lee and Welson Sim and state Sukma swimmer Angela Chieng as they look to look to build on their success from the Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Wong Soon Kai Swimming Championship. Sibu are fielding 35 swimmers and will enjoy the home ground advantage while Miri have 30 representatives, Kapit (10), Bintulu (9) and Limbang (3). A total of 168 events will be competed while the categories are Open, Group 1, 2, 3 and 4 for boys and girls. The best 10 swimmers will receive trophies from Amateur Swimming Association of Sarawak (Asas) president Larry Sng during the closing ceremony on Sunday. A welcoming dinner will also be held at Kingwood Hotel tomorrow. Meanwhile, Sasa will also be conducting a selection trial from Feb 28 to Mar 2 to select 10 swimmers to represent Sarawak in Sukma XVII in Perlis from May 24 to June 4.  | ||||
| Ministry looks forward to <b>Kuching</b>-Shenzhen direct flights <b>...</b> Posted: 19 Feb 2014 11:02 AM PST by Eve Sonary Heng, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on February 20, 2014, Thursday KUCHING: The Tourism Ministry hopes that the plan to have direct flights between Kuching and Shenzhen, China will be realised in May this year to boost the tourism industry of both cities. Tourism Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg said with the three times a week direct flights, the state can attract more tourists from China, thus strengthening the ties between the two countries. "China has emerged as one of the economic powerhouses of the world and soon it may overtake the United States of America's economy, which is currently the number one economic powerhouse in the world. "They had also contributed a lot to the economic development of Sarawak and Malaysia as a whole. With the direct flights from Kuching to Szhenzhen, and from Shenzhen to Kuching, it would further benefit both cities in both countries in terms of social and economic developments," he said at the Kuching Hockien Association Chinese New Year dinner held at the Christian Ecumenical Centre here on Tuesday. Abang Johari, who is also Housing Minister, mentioned that Malaysia recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations with China, and that both countries had achieved tourism, economic and cultural progress. With the strong bilateral ties between the countries, he said it is important to master the Mandarin language. "Because more parents are aware of the importance of the Mandarin language, you can easily see a lot of Bumiputera and Malay students studying in Chung Hua (or Chinese-medium) schools. "It would be a great advantage if you can master the Mandarin language, and also the international language, which is English," he said. On a separate matter, he urged Sarawakians not to import negative cultures that could break apart the state's racial and religious harmony, prosperity and political stability. He noted that the 1Malaysia concept has long existed in the state, where communities of different races and religions live together in peace and harmony with each other. He also mentioned that there was no controversy over the use of 'Allah' in the state. "We put our energy to develop our society and the state and nothing else. Let us all maintain our peace and harmony here," he added. Citing an example, he said the Chin San Temple in Muara Tebas Village is proof of tolerance and respect among the Chinese and Malays, where while Buddhist devotees perform their prayers the Malay villagers will look after their vehicles. Assistant Minister of Communication Datuk Lee Kim Shin, Chinese Consul-General in Kuching Liu Chuan, honorary presidents of Hockien Association Datuk Seri Tay Thian Siong |
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