SARAWAK’S “Tribe Legacy” campaign has delivered its strongest impact to date, driving record growth in its business events sector and positioning the state as Malaysia and Borneo’s Legacy Capital of Business Events, according to senior officials.
Supported by strong collaboration across government, industry, academia, communities, and global partners, the campaign has transformed how Sarawak delivers business events, shifting the focus from short-term tourism to long-term economic, social, and environmental impact.
This momentum led Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak) to its strongest performance to date in 2025, as the organisation approaches its 20th anniversary.
In FY2025, Sarawak secured 160 business events, achieving 115 per cent of its annual target. These secured events, scheduled between 2025 and 2030, are projected to generate a total economic impact of RM483.5 million (about USD119m).
Projected direct delegate expenditure stands at RM262.8 million, generating RM29 million in tax revenue across 177,453 delegate days. Sarawak also maintained a 100 per cent bid success rate from 2022, demonstrating sustained international confidence in Sarawak’s destination leadership and ecosystem readiness.
Major secured events include the Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Conference 2025, the Asian Congress on Occupational Health 2026, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) Triennial General Assembly 2026, and the International Council on Archives (ICA) Conference 2027.
On the hosting front, Sarawak successfully delivered 159 business events in 2025, a 27 per cent increase compared to the previous year. The events generated RM491.4 million in total economic impact, including RM267 million in direct delegate expenditure. These events attracted 59,926 delegates, contributed RM29.5 million in tax revenue, and supported more than 38,000 jobs across the state.
Abdul Karim (above), Sarawak’s Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, said: “We have reshaped how the world looks at Sarawak – from a once overlooked destination into the legacy capital of business events in Malaysia and Borneo. It is a powerful journey of vision, perseverance, and partnership, and one that we proudly celebrate as we mark our 20th anniversary this year.
“This is not the achievement of one organisation, but the result of a united ecosystem working with shared purpose.”
The Minister emphasised that the period from 2026 to 2030 marked the final phase of the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030, guided by Sarawak’s 13th Malaysia Plan.
Our next phase must ensure that business events continue to deliver meaningful contributions to our economy, society and environment. Tribe Legacy Sarawak provides the platform to mobilise talent, partnerships and innovation at scale.”
– Abdul Karim, Sarawak’s Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts
As part of the Tribe Legacy Sarawak Campaign, Sarawak has embedded impact measurement and legacy design into its business events strategy. Of 166 legacy-focused events secured in 2025, 60 have been selected for a pilot measurement programme, with 10 already validated and the remaining 50 undergoing assessment to evaluate economic, social and community outcomes.
Under the legacy initiative, 13 high-value national and international events have been mobilised across strategic sectors, including hydrogen and carbon markets, digital economy, healthcare, literacy, and aerospace — directly supporting Sarawak’s PCDS 2030 priorities.
“The last five years focused on building the legacy ecosystem and developing the Legacy Impact Master Action Plan,” said Hii Chang Kee, Chairman of BESarawak. “Our next phase will deepen data intelligence, digitalisation, partnerships and talent development – ensuring Sarawak remains globally competitive while delivering sustainable value for our people.”
Backgrounder… BESarawak test runs LEGACY360
Through the campaign, Sarawak has set international benchmarks with pioneering platforms including LEGACY360 Education, the Legacy Event Advocacy Policy (LEAP) Summit, the Borneo Inspires Legacy Awards, and the Sarawak Business Events Forum — creating integrated ecosystems for advocacy, education and recognition.
Sarawak also became the first government to adopt the Borneo Legacy Declaration, with the Business Events Sarawak Alliance serving as its first implementation milestone across ministries and agencies.
“We are incredibly proud of how Tribe Legacy Sarawak Campaign has mobilised the entire ecosystem,” said Amelia Roziman, CEO of BESarawak.
This campaign proves that when government, industry and communities align around shared purpose, business events become powerful platforms for national transformation and global contribution.”
– Amelia Roziman, CEO BESarawak
Sarawak’s leadership has been recognised internationally through the ICCA Award of Appreciation, The Iceberg Excellence Award, and Amelia’s appointment as the first Asian Trustee on the Iceberg Board of Trustees.
As BESarawak marks its 20th anniversary in 2026, the Tribe Legacy Sarawak campaign will focus on accelerating data intelligence, digital platforms, leadership capability, and cross-sector partnerships, ensuring sustained growth aligned with PCDS 2030, 13th Malaysia Plan and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
BESarawak said the campaign reinforced the state’s ambition not only to host world-class events, but to build a destination and sector driven by higher purpose, creating enduring legacies to benefit generations to come.
Main picture… a view of Sarawak state capital at night with the legislative assembly building and the state flag to the right.
