Kota Kinabalu: Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Christina Liew is upbeat about the global response to Sabah’s homegrown International Wholistic Wellness Conference and Expo – IWWCE 2024 - which will be held from June 7-9, 2024 at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC).
She said this is the first world wellness conference and expo that covers all 10 pillars of humans’ wellness, longevity and lifestyle.
“I was informed that the response to IWWCE 2024 has been very good from around the world since I announced the event at the first press conference on June 10 this year.
I understand there are registrations for the conference from Europe, and many enquiries from different parts of the world, including South America, while potential exhibitors have also signed up,” she said in a statement on Thursday, after a briefing on its promotional progress this week by Organising Chairman cum Chief Executive Officer of AEI Wellness and QiMag Wholistic Professionals, Cleopatra Lajawai.
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Updating the Minister on IWWCE 2024, Lajawai said over the last two months, the organising team had visited and promoted Sabah and the wellness event at the “World’s Aging Asia” Conference in Singapore, the “Asia Herbal Conference” in Kuala Lumpur as well as participated in the Weihai International Expo in Shandong, China.
“IWWCE 2024 event is also being promoted through the Sabah Tourism Board (STB), and agents in India and China. In the next 10 months, we will attend international tourism and wellness events in Europe to popularise the event and promote Sabah as the preferred “Green-Blue-Clean Sabah” pristine natural wellness destination in Asia,” she added.
According to Lajawai, this IWWCE2024 event is now a collaboration between AEI Wellness Sdn Bhd (AEIWellness) and QiMag Wholistic Professionals PLT (QWP) of Sabah.
AEIWellness is the official organiser for the EXPO, while QWP, being one of the registered Training Providers of HRDCorp Malaysia, is the official organiser for the Conference (June 8, 2024) and Masterclasses (June 9, 2023).
“We have just received the confirmation from HRDCorp Malaysia that both Conference and Masterclasses are now recognised by them as Claimable Courses for Malaysian Employers and Employees contributors.
Which means that private sector employees from Sabah and Malaysia can now apply to join the conference and wellness masterclasses to be financed by HRDCorp Malaysia,” she said.
Meanwhile, Chairman of AEI Wellness Sdn Bhd cum Founder of the Federation of Sabah Industries (FSI), Dr. Jes T. Y. Lim informed the Minister that the organising team garden has started working on her proposal to set up a wellness centre in major tourist spots with natural facilities and information on preventive medicine and general health as a new tourist destination.
“This initiative is in support of the effort to promote Sabah as the preferred Asian Pristine Wellness Centre,” he said.
On Liew’s proposal to establish herbal gardens for tourism as part of IWWCE 2024, Dr Lim said he has approached several potential rural farming groups and communities in Penampang, Tamparuli, Bundu Tuhan and Keningau, and encouraged them to plant high value Sabah herbs towards creating many “Sabah Herbal Gardens” with catering facilities for selling Sabah’s unique herbs in each rural district as new tourist spots.
Also present was the Ministry’s Deputy Permanent Secretary II Alesia Sion.
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