Tourism Malaysia Appreciation Night 2025 celebrates industry partners, media
- BT
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
KUCHING, 13 December 2025 – Unpredictable weather? Check. Crazy traffic? Double check. December madness? You bet. None of that stopped the tourism family from showing up at Sheraton Hotel Kuching last night for what turned out to be a very memorable celebration for everyone who turned up.
The Tourism Malaysia Appreciation Night 2025, themed “Timeless Tradition, Enchanted Night” was everything a thank you party should be… warm, fun, and filled with people who genuinely love what they do. Tour operators mingled with hoteliers. Media folks caught up with content creators. And everyone came together to celebrate a year of hard work and look ahead to an exciting 2026.
Tourism Malaysia Sarawak’s Regional Director, Rubiah Tul'Adwiyah Md Yusof made sure everyone in the room knew they were appreciated. In her speech, she thanked industry partners and media friends who have been the backbone of making Sarawak shine.
“From the extraordinary biodiversity of our rainforests to the warmth of our various ethnic communities and food that is sometimes so good it leaves visitors speechless, Sarawak continues to amaze international and domestic travellers,” she shared.
And about the media's dedication? She praised their “willingness to go into the jungle at 5 in the morning with nothing but a camera and mosquito repellent.”
The big news of the night was Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026), and Rubiah made it clear that it's practically here already.
“After all, where else can you find Orangutans, ancient cultures, pepper that can change your life, and laksa that has been declared the breakfast of the Gods?” she asked, adding later that Tourism Malaysia Sarawak has big plans for next year: stronger domestic marketing, bigger digital presence with international influencers, new travel packages highlighting culture and nature, and more familiarisation trips for media to explore new destinations.
That said, last night was indeed a party, complete with cultural performances and live entertainment. The Tourism Malaysia Sarawak team surprised everyone by taking the stage themselves for a fun performance. Joining them and dancing along ever so adorably were Wira and Manja, the sun bear mascots for Visit Malaysia 2026.
The event also crowned a King and Queen of the Night, which had two the guests last night going home with a prize each for their effort to dress up for the occasion, if you will.
The lucky draw segments had everyone on the edge of their seats, with plenty of prizes given out throughout the night, including electronics, home appliances, hotel stays, and more! The grand prize was a dream come true… a complimentary resort stay PLUS complimentary flights between Kuching and Pontianak. Someone literally won a free vacation last night.
BorneoTalk's Lester also had his lucky moment (though he didn’t expect it), winning a sleek standing fan.
Through not everyone was lucky enough to have won something from the draws, still nobody went home empty-handed. Every guest received a beautiful Tourism Malaysia tiffin set.
The evening wrapped up with the quintessential poco poco dance – very typical of any event in Sarawak.
“Tourism is a team sport. And tonight, this room is full of the strongest, most creative, and most passionate team members we could ask for,” said Rubiah.
Thank you, Tourism Malaysia for a memorable evening.
