Traditional Food Fest planned next year
KOTA BELUD: Organising cultural festivals based on local cultures and ethnic traditions in the State should be able to attract tourists.State Rural Development Minister, Datuk Ewon Benedick, said rural areas had a variety of attractive products to attract tourism in addition to its natural beauty, Sabah’s cultural festivals and ethnic traditions.“In Kota Belud, we hold the annual Tamu Besar Kota Belud event which showcases the various ethnic cultures of the district including the Traditional Food Festival. But it will be more interesting and successful if we can attract foreign tourists to see the uniqueness and the special privileges of culture, traditional foods and more that we have to offer.
“I commend the efforts of the organisers of the Traditional Food Festival in conjunction with the Tamu Besar Kota Belud and I hope that it will continue in the future. But to this day, we are the only ones celebrating the festival and cannot be featured outside tourists. introducing this traditional food to outside tourists and our entrepreneurs can turn it into a commercial enterprise,” he said at the opening of the Kota Belud Traditional Food Festival in conjunction with the Tamu Besar Kota Belud hed at the Sosondoton View Tamu market in Kg Piasau, here, on Saturday.Also present were Kota Belud District Officer, Diyanah Abdullah, board member of the Sabah Tourism Board, Mustapha Sakmud and former Kota Belud MP, Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan.Ewon, who is also the Kadamaian Assemblyman, agreed with the Kota Belud District Officer’s proposal for a Traditional Food Festival to be held outside Kota Belud next year.“If we cannot attract overseas travellers to Kota Belud to see the festival, let us approach them in collaboration with the shopping centres or hotels in Kota Kinabalu so that tourists can see some of the tourism products we offer in the district, “he said.He said the government through ministries and district offices could play a role in upgrading public infrastructure facilities in villages undertaking tourism activities, while tourism associations could play a role in tourism promotion and marketing activities.
Earlier, Ewon was launching a Fitness Awareness Programme in conjunction with the Taginambur area level National Sports Month at the Sweat Factory Centre gymnasium in Kg Taginambur Jaya.Speaking at the event, he said the Taginambur Badi Festival, which will be held from December 12 to 13, 2019, being delayed from the same date in August and will be officiated by Deputy Chief Minister cum Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Datuk Christina Liew.The delay will allow for the completion of the bustling Kadamaian Square community hall, which is currently under construction, but almost nearing its completion.“The State Government through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment has agreed to award an annual grant of RM30,000 to the Taginambur Tourism Association to organise the festival.“I hope the festival will be a new identity of the Kadamaian area and highlight the unique and interesting privileges that are not present at any other festival in Kota Belud,” he said.According to Ewon, the redevelopment of the Taginambur township is underway including the completion of the Kadamaian Square community hall which serves as the main activity centre in the Kadamaian State Assembly constituency, the upgrading of Taginambur Tamu market facilities and the construction of the Rural Entrepreneurial Complex which will soon begin“This will be supplemented by riverbank improvements, residential walkway construction and the construction of Walai Kadamaian tourist complex which will serve as a resthouse, accommodation and future tourist cafeteria.“This is part of the Kadamaian Development Plan, 2020-2035 which I have initiated for the tourism industry related facilities in Kadamaian. What is good for Kadamaian is also good for Kota Belud in general and also good for Sabah as a whole,” he said.
Source: Daily Express30
