After a successful Routes Asia in Mumbai which saw over 700 hundred delegates in attendance, more than ever before, GVK’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) officially handed the event over to Kuching, Sarawak the host destination for Routes Asia 2014.

Building on the success of this year’s event the largest route development forum for the entire Asia region will take place on 9-11 March 2014 in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia hosted by the Ministry of Tourism Sarawak and co-hosted by Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad.

Speaking at the official handover ceremony which took place earlier this week in Mumbai, Honourable Datuk Amar Haji Abdul Rahman Zohari Bin Tun Abang Haji Openg, Minister for Tourism for Sarawak said: “We are indeed grateful to Routes for giving us the opportunity to be associated with such a prestigious event. This is a great honour for Sarawak to be highlighted among prominent airlines and airports fraternity at this important event. Needless to say, we are the host for your Routes Asia 2014 and I have come personally to Mumbai to welcome all of you to Kuching when the event unveils itself next year in March.”

Mohamed Sallauddin Mat Sah, General Manager Marketing for Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad said: “After pioneering the Routes Asia forum in 2003, Malaysia Airports is proud to see this event grow in number by leaps and bounds. And now, partnering with the Sarawak’s Tourism Ministry in co-hosting this event next year in Kuching is very special for Malaysia Airports as it highlights the synergies and symbiotic relationship between an airport and the tourism authority in destination marketing to enhance air connectivity. This initiative also underlines our commitment to develop key regional international airports in Malaysia. We await the arrival of the delegates of Routes Asia 2014 to be mesmerised by what the city of Kuching and Sarawak can offer.”

Air transport to Sarawak is served by four major airports; Kuching International Airport, Sibu, Bintulu and Miri Airports and as the region has frequent air links from major aviation hubs Kuching is one of the most accessible cities in Malaysia. Flights to Kuching are available from Kuala Lumpur International Airport, which is served by more than 50 carriers.

Sarawak, known as the Land of the Hornbills, is the largest of the Malaysian states and is situated on the island of Borneo. Home to the world’s oldest tropical rainforests it is abundant in wildlife including rare and endangered species such as the orang-utan and the hornbill. The historic capital city of Kuching has a population of around 600,000 and dates back hundreds of years when traders from China and the West would travel there to trade the exotic treasures of the rainforest. Today Kuching remains the central hub and gateway to Sarawak.

“We are delighted that Routes Asia will be returning to Malaysia in 2014,” says David Stroud, Executive Vice President, Routes explaining: “Malaysia has a special place in the history and development of this event as the first three Routes Asia events were hosted there and, as such, our co-hosts next year, Malaysia Airport, played a key role in helping the event get established. Sarawak is a location of outstanding natural beauty, a place where you can visit rainforests, encounter orang-utan and hornbills.

This place is full of natural wonders whilst at the same time equipped with the state-of-the art infrastructure of a leading economy and we are looking forward to welcoming even more members of the aviation community in Kuching next year.”

This will be the fifth time that a Routes event has taken place in Malaysia. In 2003 the first Routes Asia event, also the first ever Routes regional event, was held in Sepang hosted by Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad who went on to host Routes Asia for the following two years and World Routes 2008 in Kuala Lumpur.