“Build Back Better” is the theme for the Travel Agent Federation of India (TAFI) Convention 2022, set to take place at Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia from 20-23 September. “Build Back Better” theme has been kept by TAFI for a more resilient and responsible tourism industry post-pandemic so that they can promote sustainable and responsible tourism practices.

TAFI has organised their convention in Malaysia twice, in 1999 at Kuala Lumpur and in 2007 at Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. This will be the third TAFI convention that will be held in Malaysia.  The Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak (MTCP) YB Dato Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said that Indian tourist arrivals to Malaysia pre-pandemic in 2019 showed a positive trend with a 15% growth rate, while India ranked 5th in terms of visitor arrivals to Sarawak, marking a significant potential for Sarawak to tap into the Indian market.

“There has been a positive increase of 304% in visitor arrivals from India during the period of January to July 2022 compared to the same time period in 2021. TAFI Convention 2022 is a golden opportunity for us to ramp up Sarawak’s visibility in India and also to showcase our offerings to our Indian travel agent partners. We anticipate a 30% increase from the pre-pandemic arrivals to Malaysia this year. In 2019, the Indian market contributed to 735,309 arrivals (22%) to the country,” Hamzah added.

While inviting the Indian travel fraternity to join the convention, Ajay Prakash the president of TAFI said: “It is high time for the Indian Travel & Tourism industry to realise the potential of the industry and make an effort for its growth. Sarawak is a relatively unexplored destination for the Indian traveller. Also, the destination promotes conservation and sustainable development. We anticipate that after the convention, our members will be inspired to promote tourism to this beautiful province since it can be a great venue for destination weddings, family travel and corporate events.”