Sarawak showcases river cruises, ancient heritage at ITB Berlin 2026

Product video presentation during this morning's launch.

BERLIN, GERMANY, 4 March 2026 – Sarawak has quite a story to tell at ITB Berlin 2026. This morning saw the official launch of the Sarawak Pavilion at Hall 26 in Messe Berlin, here. With travellers increasingly looking for holidays that mean something beyond just ticking off sights, the Sarawak made a compelling case this week for Borneo as one of the world's most genuinely immersive long-haul destinations.

The three-day event, held from March 3 to 5 in Berlin, sees Sarawak engage tour operators, travel media and industry partners in a packed programme of business meetings, destination presentations and a specially hosted Sarawak Cocktail Networking Session. The participation also forms part of Sarawak's push to support Visit Malaysia Year 2026 and strengthen its appeal across the European market.

The highlight of Sarawak's showcase is its newly unveiled River Cruise portfolio. Built around the Rajang River, Malaysia's longest river, these cruises are designed to take travellers deep into the cultural and ecological heart of Borneo in a way that few other experiences can.

The flagship offering is an 8-day, 7-night multi-day cruise departing from Sibu, winding through riverine communities, historic towns, working river ports and stretches of protected rainforest and mangrove. For those who want a taste without committing to the full journey, shorter sunset cruises in both Kuching and Sibu offer a lovely introduction to life along Sarawak's waterways, where colonial waterfront architecture, vibrant riverside communities, and a living sense of urban heritage are among the experiences that await.

These river routes trace the same paths that Sarawak's historic trade routes once followed. What's exciting is seeing them transformed into thoughtful, contemporary travel experiences that still feel authentically tied to the culture that shaped them.

Another must experience is Sarawak's Niah National Park. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2024 (Sarawak's second such designation), Niah’s limestone cave systems, including the enormous Great Cave, contain archaeological discoveries dating back some 65,000 years, including Palaeolithic burials, stone tools and early cultural artefacts. That makes it one of Southeast Asia's oldest known sites of human settlement.

Set within a protected rainforest ecosystem, Niah represents Sarawak’s ability to safeguard both deep human history and extraordinary biodiversity in the same place.

Chairman of the Sarawak Tourism Board, Dato Dennis Ngau, who leads the Sarawak delegation at ITB Berlin, shared on what sets Sarawak apart from other states, saying, “People today do not travel merely to see places. They travel to feel something, to connect with culture, nature and communities. Sarawak has always been ready because our tourism is shaped by who we are, not what is fashionable.”

Dato Dennis Ngau launching Sarawak's new tourism product at the Sarawak Pavilion.

Group photo with Sarawak's tour operators and industry partners after the launch.

The timing of Sarawak's participation at ITB Berlin is clearly well judged. In 2025, the region welcomed 57,107 visitors from across Europe. Germany, the host nation of the fair, showed particularly strong growth with arrivals jumping from 5,512 in 2024 to 7,525 in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 36.5%.

Sarawak’s participation at ITB Berlin also sheds a light on the full breadth of what it has to offer. Community-based tourism experiences, nature-led adventures at its national parks and food-driven storytelling anchored by Kuching's status as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, all featured in the mix. Sarawak's approach is guided by five pillars it calls CANFF (Culture, Adventure, Nature, Food and Festivals) that keeps its tourism development both integrated and experience-led.

With Visit Malaysia Year 2026, Sarawak is clearly positioning itself as one of the country's most compelling offerings to the world — a destination where ancient history, living culture, extraordinary nature and the warmth of its people all come together in one place.