Dance Fest to further boost tourism industry
Published on: Thursday, May 23, 2019
By: Ottey Peter
KOTA KINABALU: The 10th Sabah Culture Monument Programme – The International Youth Folk Dance Festival 2019 to be held here in July, will further boost the State’s tourism industry as it promotes diverse rich culture from different races.
The event will be held from July 10-12 at the Sabah Cultural Centre in Penampang.
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Sabah Cultural Board Chairman, Ismaily Bungsu said the festival is an international event aimed to promote Sabah as a tourist destination as well as introduce the uniqueness of the various cultures.
Ismaily said six countries have confirmed their participation so far, namely Indonesia, Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, Brunei and Uzbekistan.
He said previously the programme was one of the activities in conjunction with the Sabah International Folklore Festival.
Starting 2016, the Sabah Culture Monument Programme and The International Youth Folk Dance Festival were separated to focus on national-level events, targeting pupils from Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak and Sabah.
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He added the event also enhanced public awareness among young people, especially schoolchildren, on the importance of conserving and preserving the diverse cultural heritage of Sabah.
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“Sabah Cultural Board intends to make this programme one of the co-curriculum activities in schools. We hope the event will foster brotherhood and understanding among participants through culture,” he said after launching the event by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.
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Also present were Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew, Health and People’s Wellbeing Minister Datuk Frankie Poon Ming Fung and Deputy Speaker Datuk George Ginibun.