Sabah Tourism Ministry urges villages to join homestay programmme

Villages with potential have been urged to join the homestay programme to help people in rural areas earn additional income. Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said the ministry is working with Malaysian Tourism Ministry, Homestay Association; public and private agencies to further promote the programme.

“Information on this programme is forwarded to all district offices for dissemination to the public,” he said when replying to Abdul Muis Picho (BN-Sebatik) in the state assembly here today.

So far, 17 homestay projects have been established in Sabah involving 25 villages with 230 participants providing 438 rooms for tourist accommodation.

Masidi said following complaints, the ministry conducted checks and found that 28 premises had abused the homestay label.

“Owners of the premises were reprimanded and briefed on the true meaning of homestay as the programme involves the local community.

“Therefore, the use of the word ‘homestay’ by the owner of premises will only confuse tourists,” he added.

The federal and state governments approved allocation of RM2.5mln under the 9th Malaysia Plan (9MP) and RM795,000 under the 10th Malaysia Plan (10MP) to upgrade homestay facilities.

Source: Bernama