As part of an effort to showcase Sarawak to the world, the “Beauty of Sarawak” talk show was held at the Amphitheatre, Malaysia Pavilion at EXPO 2020 Dubai on Dec 30, 2021. The talk show was hosted by Ashley Pan of BorneoTalk, an EXPO 2020 Dubai accredited media, and featured Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) Marketing Director Mary Wan Mering as the show’s special guest.
Part of the programming held during Sarawak’s State Tourism Day at the Malaysia Pavilion, the talk show drew an international crowd to the Malaysia Pavilion and kept them tuned in with an engaging talk about the CANFF (Culture, Adventure, Nature, Food and Festival) of Sarawak, along with interesting activities for the audience to partake in.
Those attending got to learn some of the moves of the Orang Ulu Datun Julud dance, with Mary and Ashley leading the audience together. The host and special guest also invited the audience to join them in singing the Orang Ulu anthem “Liling”.
“Liling, Liling Liling Liling, Liling Uyau Along Liling, Nelan…” the lyrics went. The crowd was clearly excited and immersed as they sang along, swaying their bodies to the enchanting tune of the “Liling” song as they sang together in unison.
There were quizzes at the end of the talk show, where winners among the audience got to bring home some lovely prizes from Sarawak. The Senses Stations set up within the talk show’s vicinity allowed guests to bring home some Kek Lapis Sarawak, traditional beaded necklace, limited edition recyclable BorneoTalk bags, and LitSara® air freshener containing the refreshing and uplifting essence of the Borneo rainforest.
“The Beauty of Sarawak talk show was a platform through which the audience was able to learn more about the uniqueness of Sarawak via the State’s Culture, Adventure, Nature, Food and Festival offerings. It also gave prominence to STB’s efforts towards Responsible Tourism and sustainability in helping position Sarawak as one of Malaysia’s prime ecotourism destinations, and aptly went with WEEK 13’s theme of ECOTOURISM,” Mary shared.
Show host Ashley Pan commented, “The talk show was definitely a great way to introduce Sarawak to the visitors who attended EXPO 2020 Dubai. I’m very happy that we were able to get the audience engaged with the activities that served as sort of a sneak peek to what Sarawak is all about. It’s very encouraging for all us involved in the talk show to have people come to us and expressing their interest in visiting Sarawak after what they’ve seen and learned during the show.”
The Beauty of Sarawak talk show has certainly done well to garner interest from the international crowd at EXPO 2020 Dubai, and has helped in its capacity to entice more travellers to come to Sarawak to experience its CANFF to the fullest once tourism kicks back into full gear.
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