Sarawak will host the 3rd Southeast Asian Tourist Guides Conference from October 13 to 15, 2026, at the Kingwood Hotel in Sibu.
Organised by the Sarawak Tourist Guides Association in collaboration with the Malaysian Tourist Guides Council and Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak), the event aims to address industry challenges and foster collaboration among Southeast Asian tourism frontliners.
The conference is expected to attract 1,000 delegates from across the region. Participants will engage in an immersive outdoor learning experience, including a cultural exchange designed to provide firsthand insight into community-based tourism.
Sibu was specifically selected as the host city to promote inclusive tourism development, ensuring that the economic benefits of business events are shared across the region’s diverse communities.
Under the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030, Sarawak is targeting a 7.5 per cent annual growth in visitor arrivals. While tourist guides are essential to achieving this sustainably, the profession faces modern hurdles such as the rise of AI-driven travel tools, rapidly evolving visitor expectations, and regional shortage of qualified guides.
