Homestays must ensure cleanliness
Kota Kinabalu: State Tourism, Culture and Environment Assistant Minister Datuk Kamarlin Ombi said homestay operators must make cleanliness a priority and ensure that their homestay area is free of rubbish and litter.
“In the homestay business cleanliness is the most important. This has been emphasised by the Ministry as there is no point for visitors from overseas coming to the State only to see rubbish strewn everywhere and a dirty environment.
“They are not here for expensive high-rise buildings but want to stay with the local people.”
He said this to reporters after officiating the closing of the Chalet and Rest-home management course for ex-servicemen at Sky Hotel Karamunsing on Sunday.
Kamarlin said the course was intended to provide skills for ex servicemen in managing homestays, resthomes and chalet.
He said the the homestay industry has good potential as the demand by tourists who come to State to experience staying with local people was high.
“This can be because of the lower cost and also they want to interact with local people to know more about their way of life.
Of course such homestay activities will also have a financial impact on the local people.
“That is why in almost all districts in the State, individuals or even companies have set up homestays.”
Kamarlin said these foreign tourists beside staying with the local people also want to experience the local cuisine in the State.
He said homestay operators should also be able to provide local dishes and cuisine for their guests.
“They come here not to eat sandwiches or tuna fish but to experience local foods. The main thing is that these dishes served to them are clean and hygienic.
“If they go to Beaufort for example, they can try the ‘ambuyat’ dishes there. If they go to Kota Belud, they can try the ‘Panjaram kuih’ there and if the go to Semporna, they can try the ‘potu’ food there.”
Kamarlin said he was made to understand that there were at least 31 course participants from throughout Sabah and that the Tourism Ministry was also supportive and giving advice and assistance. For example if the participants want to get their homestay licences we can assist on this matter.
Meanwhile, Kamarlin said the National level Kaamatan celebrations this year will be held in Kuala Lumpur.
“All this while it was held in Sabah, and the same audience were mainly Sabahans, but now if it’s held in Kuala Lumpur, people from the other States in the peninsula can come to see for themselves the Harvest Festival celebrations.
“Our target is not only people from the peninsula but also foreign tourists and also not forgetting foreigners from the many embassies there. In this way we can promote the Harvest Festival celebrations not only at a national level but also internationally.
“It has already been decided and the matter is now at the meeting stage to decide on what will be the content of the programmes for the national level celebrations. It will be decided most probably sometime before the puasa period in early June.”
Source : Daily Express
