Miri Mulu Local Events

Global Geotourism Conference was first held 17-20 Aug 08 in Fremantle, Western Australia.

The second conference should be a hallmark event for Sarawak as it promises to capitalise on the highly successful Inaugural Conference, and it will set a benchmark for the tourism industry in relation to the development, management and marketing of landscapes. Geotourism describes the resources, activities and management of visitor activity centered on rock exposures, landforms and fossils in a wide variety of natural landscapes.

In discussing and engaging all aspects of geotourism this conference should highlight its status as a conservation tool, educational process and nature-based tourism activity. Moreover, an understanding of the 'form-process' link that is important in geology can be delivered via geotourism and the consequences of geological landforms and activities on our lives can thus be better understood.

The unique conference should include case studies which will showcase the issues involved in the management and care of such attractions, and cover topics such as sustainability, impacts and environmental issues.

The inaugural conference host was the Forum Advocating Cultural and Eco Tourism (FACET) in Western Australia. FACET is a network and information resource organisation for people with an interest in cultural and natural tourism. Formed in 1992 it hosts an annual conference which focuses on topics related to its charter.

The conference is being hosted by the Sarawak Tourism Board, Sarawak, Malaysia. Advisors to the Conference are Resolve Global Pty Ltd, Australia (http://www.resolveglobal.com.au/) whose directors were involved in the organisation of the first conference in Perth, Western Australia. Resolve Global will offer advice in regard to staging the event, the provision of networks of contacts, access to speakers, planning of the event, marketing it, and emceeing the conference throughout.

Gawai Day or Gaway Dayak is a grand festival that marks good harvest of rice and to plan for better harvest for the following year for all the ethnic groups of Borneo. In Sarawak, Gawai Day was first celebrated officially on 1 June 1965 and it also symbolizes unity, aspiration and hope for the Dayak community.

The celebration takes place in longhouses of the ethnic groups and starts on 31st May as the eve where ritual ceremony to cast away bad spirits, follows thanks ceremony to the god for good harvest.  Traditional dances, music  filled the atmosphere and Kumang and Keling Gawai (the festival's queen and king) will be chosen.  Dinner, tuak (rice wine), traditional cakes and delicacies are served.