26Jun

Centre to help rural Muruts

TENOM: Marais Centre located in ​​Kemabong sub-district is the latest tourist spot after Rundum Highlands that features Murut traditional culture. According to the founder  Samwise Loh Wee Khee, it was formerly a local community training centre. But after getting a good response from the villagers, it was converted to the Marais Centre which hoped to increase the income of the community here. Among the daily activities based on sociocultural and cultural tourism products as well as the handicraft of the Murut tribes to be presented to the world community. “First of all, from the community training center activity, for the skills or skills to youths who want to progress, we have a group for the seminar vision of tourism, “Just like one vision, we work together to make small projects first,” he said, to the media after receiving a visit to the centre by Tenom MP Noorita Sual. He explained that the Marais centre offers tourism packages such as weaving, bicycling, rice processing, traditional cooking, fish netting, hair-cutting and traditional dance performances and more. He said some of the revenue earned would be used to establish a cooperative to facilitate the villagers in managing it better and more systematically. Noorita said the government, welcomed this effort to help villagers get out of poverty and is an example that the people can be proud of. “As far as I know in Tenom this is the first project and I think for other areas this is rarely seen.“This tourism project is something to be proud of because Marais villagers have the initiative and with the assistance of Sam, the villagers here can set up the centre which at least can increase the population’s income,” she said. A  villager from Kg Marais, James Rangi 40, said with the Marais centre, their lives were much better than before. Since its opening on  April 27, 2018, to date, more than 200 tourists have come to visit it. Source: Daily Express
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04Mar

Promote Tagal festival to boost ecotourism, says Sabah minister

KOTA BELUD: Sabah’s unique Tagal system, where a stretch of river is declared off-limits for fishing, must be aggressively promoted as one of the main tourism products in rural areas, said state Rural Development Minister Ewon Benedick. Speaking to reporters after the Tagal harvest programme in Terintidon village here today, Benedick said Tagal committees should coordinate with their tourism committee and village community management councils to include Tagal harvest day in the district’s tourism calendar. “The programme can be promoted through various media platforms. “I am confident there are many tourists interested in taking part in the traditional fish harvesting on a river that is part of the Tagal system,” said the Kadamaian assemblyman. Tagal is a Kadazandusun word loosely translated as “do not” or “no need”. Locals practise this traditional concept to allow nature to replenish its resources, in this case the fish population. Disturbing a Tagal area is enforced through the Native Courts and heavy penalties (including payment by money, chickens and pigs) can be imposed, depending on the severity of the offence. Benedick said the Tagal harvesting programme promotes the Tagal law as part of the native laws which are important for preserving the river ecosystem and making it an interesting eco-tourism product for rural areas. “I was told that Terintidon village has recorded more than 2,000 tourist arrivals since it was opened. “That means tourists are attracted to this place because of the river and forest conservation efforts by the villagers,” he said. Benedick also said he was committed to ensuring the villages were equipped with the infrastructure needed to improve their eco-tourism industry. He has helped to upgrade the concrete roads leading to ecotourism areas in several villages in Kadamaian, including to Terintidon village. He has also put up signboards to indicate the washrooms and changing rooms for visitors. Source: FMT News
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25Feb

Homestay revenues may increase drastically

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Homestay Association (SHA) aims to increase the revenues of homestays in the State to RM10 million-RM20 million by 2025. Its president Djuanis Mogirong said it is not impossible to achieve this target provided there are strong support from the Federal Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry, and the Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry to develop the rural tourism industry. “We can see a surge in tourist arrivals for homestays in the State, last year, with 70,083, as compared to 47,291 in 2017,” he said during a press conference, here, Thursday.   “The trend is soaring upwards and we can clearly see that there is a big potential in developing rural tourism, especially homestays. “The total receipts for homestays also witnessed a shocking increase to RM7.17 million, last year, from RM3.8 million in 2017.” Djuanis also disclosed that the homestays in the State are ranked top five in the country, with the exception of the top spot which was grabbed by a homestay in Pahang. Currently, there are 29 homestays in 50 villages, involving 394 operators in the State. These homestays offer some 687 rooms. Djuanis said the association had outlined several measures to achieve its target.   “SHA would like to help more potential communities or villages to join homestay programmes to achieve our target of getting 50-100 homestays in the State by 2025,” he said. The association also hoped that homestays in Sabah can be registered for Kampungstay programme this year. “Kampungstay is at another level where certified operators can provide more rooms for guests and this can offer bigger advantage for rural tourism players in the State. “Apart from that, we plan to hold an annual convention for homestays next year…it is a platform for international to converge and exchange information as well as share their success stories.” SHA, he said, has also discussed with Sabah Tourism Board (STB) to conduct the Visit Year Homestay Sabah 2022. Meanwhile, several homestays and community-based tourism associations made the State proud as they received international recognitions from two events, recently.   Announcing this, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Christina Liew cum Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister said Kadamaian Tourism Association, Kota Belud received the Asean Community-Based Tourism Standard, Misompuru Homestay, Kudat obtained the Asean Homestay Standard and Jari Jari Spa, Kota Kinabalu grabbed the Asean Spa Services Standard. The awards were presented by Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Mohammadin Ketapi at the Asean Tourism Ministers’ Conference in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Jan 18. “The second event was the World Homestay Organisation Summit for Tourism (World Host),” Liew said. Among the recipients were Misompuru Homestay, Seri Serbang Homestay, Mesilou Atamis Homestay, Tanak Nabalu Homestay, Walai Tokou Homestay and Taun Gusi Village Homestay. “This proves that our local tourism players are able to fulfilled international standards for their services and facilities. “I hope these awards will help to motivate other homestays and community-based tourism associations to improve.” She also pledged the ministry’s commitment to support the progress of homestays in the State. - Ricardo Unto Source: Daily Express
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06Jul

SK Sayap Kota Belud scores a first in education-based tourism programme

KOTA BELUD: SK Sayap Kota Belud is the first rural primary school in Malaysia to implement an education-based tourism programme. SK Sayap which is located 20km from Pekan Kota Belud and situated at a panoramic view of Mount Kinabalu intends to be the hub and pioneer of Edu-Tourism School in Kadamaian as well as in the nation. Programme coordinator, Boniface Jiran said the school’s Edu-Tourism Kampung Sayap is among the tourism products under the Kampung Sayap Tourism Village Committee which was supported by the school’s Parents and Teacher Association (PIBG) and Kadamaian assemblyman Ewon Benedick. “Besides the school’s beautiful view of Mount Kinabalu, there are also six education huts where each of the huts has their own unique landscape and there is one upside down hut which features Kadazandusun culture,” he said, adding that since its inception, it has attracted thousands of visitors and tourists. “For the Kampung Sayap community, SK Sayap edu-tourism through FGHT (Focus Group Hiking Team) has helped a lot especially in developing its own tourism products and packages as well as providing guidance to tour operators to promote their tourism product. “As a result, Kg Sayap Tourism or better known as Kg Sayap Eco-edu Tourism has grown to the extent of successfully developing almost 38 tourism products comprising services, accommodation, retail, hill-mountain hiking, cave, waterfall, Rafflesia flowers, food, historical sites, and culture and arts,” he added. He also applauded the State Ministry of Rural Development (KPLB) for bringing in the Rural Tourism Mini Estet Sejahtera (MESEJ) programme and believed that Edu-Tourism in SK Sayap can be developed. He also stated that the village will also be getting benefits through the positive development of rural tourism industry such as upgrading and building the village roads. “Besides that, this would also help boost the students’ academic achievement through the implementation of the Edu-Tourism programme. “We are proud that our students can now read, write, and calculate well after the implementation of the programme. This is because with various visitors from foreign countries such as Japan and England, it has motivated the students to be more confident in speaking English. The motivation to boost their confidence in speaking English is due to visits from tourists from foreign countries such as Japan and England. Meanwhile, SK Sayap teacher Kingfier Missin expressed his gratitude to Ewon Benedick, who is also the Minister of Rural Development Sabah for donating a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) and a projector to the school as well as RM5,000 cash as a touch point for developing SK Sayap tourism industry. He explained that the LCD and projector would surely be useful for the 150 students of SK Sayap in their study session. Speaking at the SK Sayap Kaamatan and Hari Raya celebration, Ewon hoped that the SK Sayap Edu-Tourism programme can be an example to other schools in the state. “This will be another attraction for Kampung Sayap which is already known as a tourist destination with natural beauties such as the mountain forests and rivers in Kota Belud,” he said. Source: New Sabah Times
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25Jun

Vision to turn Kiulu into a ‘must visit’ destination

Kota Kinabalu: The Kiulu Tourism Association (KTA) has set a vision to turn this sub district into a "must visit" destination in Sabah with a target of one million visitors annually by 2025. Its President Dr Edmon Guntis said KTA was confident that the effort could be achieved with the cooperation, commitment and teamwork of all stakeholders at all levels, apart from the current political stability. The tourism development in Kiulu is at present influenced by several factors, including the encouraging participation of the local residents in the rural tourism sector. "Hence the association is very much encouraging more people in the more than 100 villages in Kiulu to come together and become part of this industry which can definitely benefit them, especially in economic prosperity," he said here, Saturday. Kiulu, located near the foot of the Crocker Range, is increasingly popular as a rural eco-tourism centre in Sabah, particularly river rafting. Edmon said the tourism industry in Kiulu commenced on a small scale since 20 years ago and has grown today with the participation of more rural tour operators, comprising local residents. He said the significant increase in the number of visitors to several tourism centres in the district since early this year showed that the tourism sector in Kiulu was expanding. "In the first three months of this year, some 22,109 visitors came to Kiulu, a growth of 66 per cent from the corresponding period last year. In 2016, some 27,000 people visited Kiulu with the number increasing to about 53,000 visitors last year while the projection this year was expected to continue growing based on the current industry development, he said. He added that the rural tourism industry in Kiulu had also provided permanent jobs to about 350 residents there. Source: Daily Express
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