Tourism signatures and moderating effect of by-products in building Sarawak state destination image - Theory and Practice in Hospitality and Tourism Research - page 204

state. Report from Ministry of Tourism Sarawak
(MOT) (Sarawak Tourism Board, 2014) revealed
that there is a positive growth of tourist receipts
both domestic and international from 3,280656 in
2009 to 4,069023 in 2012 and the figure is expected
to flourish yearly. In conjunction with Visit Malay-
sia Year (VMY) 2014, Sarawak is also aggressively
promoting the state through the launched of the
Visit Sarawak Year (VSY) 2014 to draw more inter-
national tourists to visit the so called Lands of the
Hornbills (Sarawak Tourism Board, 2014).
According to Sarawak Minister of Tourism,
Datuk Amar Abang Haji Abdul Rahman Zohari,
an excellent range of tourism products together
with the promotion and advertisements directly
establishing Sarawak as one of the international
recognized culture, adventure and nature tourism
destination. A total of 431,505 tourists to have
visited the sixteen Sarawak national parks in 2012
meanwhile the Sarawak Cultural Village (SCV) has
remained as a popular tourist attraction for more
than two decades (Sarawak Tourism Board, 2014).
It is not too overwhelmed to say that this positive
scenario indicates that the three core or signa-
ture tourism products could continue building or
strengthening the Sarawak state destination image.
Apart from this, tourists when travelling to any
destination in addition to the core tourism activi-
ties will also take the opportunity to get local by-
products that synonymous with the destination
(Reisinger & Turner, 2000). In this sense, it is argued
and based on to what have been highlighted by
Wicks et al (2004), Tzuhui et al. (2009), Yüksel and
Akgül (2007), and Ali-Knight (2011) by-products
of a particular destination could also contribute in
increasing and strengthening the tourism image of
the destination.
In line with this statement and in the case of
Sarawak, the local and international tourists who
visited this state in addition of experiencing the cul-
ture, adventure and nature as a signature tourism
products are assumed to have purchased the popu-
lar local Sarawak by-products such as traditional
and ethnic crafts (the rattan products, e.g. mats,
hats and basket, the 'sumpit', the 'shape' and oth-
ers) local souvenirs, merchandises, food products
(ikan terubuk and kek lapis,) and others. Based on
this, some questions related to local Sarawak by-
products could be raised. To what extent the local
Sarawak by-products in addition to its signature
tourism products (Culture, Adventure, and Nature
or CAN), contribute to increasing its destination
image? In other words, what are the moderating
effects of the local Sarawak by-products in build-
ing its tourism destination image?
To date, as compared to culture, adventure and
nature (CAN), there is still unclear understanding
of how and to what extent the local by-products

helps in strengthening the Sarawak tourism desti-
nation image (Sanggin, 2009) thus this issue is still
under investigation.

4 CONCLUSION

Understanding the role of Sarawak signature
tourism products and the moderating effect of
its by-products in strengthening state destination
image will create awareness on the importance of
by-products to the state tourism development. In
addition, besides maintaining its signature tourism
products, by-products which represent all ethnics
could aggressively be promoted to the local and
international tourists in particular thus the by-
products together with signature tourism products
is gradually recognizing internationally and at the
same time creating its image and boost up the state
economy.

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