Statutory body Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) was recognised at the coveted TDM Travel Trade Excellence Awards 2024 – Malaysia for its successful hosting of the 2024 edition of the iconic annual Rainforest World Music Festival, which brings together local and international performers to put on a three-day music extravaganza.
The festival not only features concerts and performances, but also showcases various culture, art, crafts, and food of the 34 different ethnicities of Sarawak to the visitors, making it a highly anticipated event for both locals and international tourists.
STB has taken on the challenge to make this edition the largest show to date, as it has just returned to a full physical format in the previous year amidst the impacts brought by the recent global pandemic. This year’s event headlines Japanese recording artist, composer, record producer, and arranger Kitaro.
To successfully promote the event, the agency has taken advantage of digital media to engage younger crowds—a new target market for the festival—whilst traditional media presence is further strengthened to engage older audiences who are more familiar with “World Music.”
At the same time, STB has also partnered with online travel agents and online travel guides such as Traveloka, Klook, Tripzilla and Tripadvisor, to promote the event. As conversions are the key metric to the integrated marketing campaigns, the agency has partnered with data partners with first party data from Agoda, Singapore Airlines, and Trivago to retarget travellers who may be in the region during the time of the festival.
It has also leveraged on traditional online, press and broadcast mediums throughout the marketing phases of the event to ensure maximum reach and visibility to target markets such as Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines. STB has engaged over 170 media to cover the event, as well as post promotions by informing their audiences of the dates for the 2025 festival.
The agency has also partnered with Malaysia Airlines, leading hotels and travel agents to provide packages at a discounted rate and additional incentives for international visitors joining the festival.
During the festival, attendees have been encouraged to utilise User Generated Content, wherein they have been urged to share their experiences online via highly Instagrammable locations and activities. The sustainable aspect of the event has also been given centre stage to further reinforce the importance of the festival as a vehicle for sustainability and responsible tourism.
STB has managed to record 30.3 million impressions on digital platforms, in addition to 10.6 million audiences on traditional media platforms, leading to a total of more than 26,000 festival goers for 2024.
For its 2025 edition, the festival will be held from 20 to 22 June 2025 at the Sarawak Cultural Village in Kuching, Sarawak.
The inaugural TDM Travel Trade Excellence Awards – Malaysia honours top travel companies that have consistently pushed boundaries within the industry and elevated customer experiences through innovative technologies, sustainable practices, and unparalleled services.
The TDM Travel Trade Excellence Awards 2024 – Malaysia is presented by Travel Daily Media. To view the full list of winners, click here. For more details, please contact Jane Patiag at +(65) 3158 1386 ext. 217 or awards@traveldailymedia.com.
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