Sabah to promote rural tourism through community-based roadshow
KOTA KINABALU (Bernama) – Sabah Tourism Board (STB) will hold a two-day community-based tourism roadshow to promote rural tourism attractions beginning tomorrow, said State Tourism, Culture And Environment Ministry Permanent Secretary Datuk Datu Rosmadi Sulai.
The roadshow, which is being held for the second time, aimed to encourage foreign and domestic tourists to travel to the rural areas, which in turn would generate income for the residents there, he said.
“Fourteen districts are participating in the programme this year compared with four in 2017. Furthermore, the programme will include a plastic-free campaign organised with a water filter company to persuade the public to minimise plastic use,” he told a press conference on the programme yesterday.
Datu Rosmadi said the roadshow involved the cooperation between the public sector – STB and Sri Pelancongan Sabah – and the private sector, namely Suria Sabah shopping mall that provided the event’s venue.
Besides rural attractions, the roadshow would also promote rural tourism products such as village stay, camping, and ecotourism activities, he noted.
To further boost community-based tourism industry’s growth in the rural areas, Datu Rosmadi said, tourism action councils had been activated in most districts in the state to identify and develop tourism-related products for the benefit of the locals and the state economy.
Kota Kinabalu: Kampung Rundum in Tenom has the potential to be the next best tourist destination in the interiors.
Deputy Chief Minister cum Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew said her Ministry already made a study on the history of the place in 1995.
She cited "The Rundum Rebellion" or "The Rundum Uprising" led by Ontoros Antanom against the British North Borneo Chartered Company in 1915.
She said this during her winding-up speech in response to the recommendation by the Kemabong Assemblyman Jamawi Jafaar to conduct a study on Kg Rundum.
Liew said examinations on the former site of the British administration were also carried out.
"My Ministry will conduct further research for the purpose of attracting heritage tourism products," she said.
She said Rundum is also surrounded by tropical rainforest with temperature reaching 16 degrees Celsius.
"It has the potential of being developed for eco-highprofile agricultural land-based tourism," she said.
She said the beauty of the waterfall and the fishes, if managed properly by the local community, can potentially make Rundum the best eco and agro tourism destination in the interior of Sabah.
"In this regard, my Ministry has already discussed with the Tenom District Tourism Action Council and the Tenom District Tourism Association to hold a tourist awareness briefing with the community at Kg Rundum," she said.
She said to further enhance the tourism sector, her Ministry has identified the East Coast of Sabah namely Tawau, Lahad Datu and Semporna as a new hub of tourist destinations to be given focus.
" My ministry is aware of the need for international airports besides Kota Kinabalu.
"For that purpose, my Ministry has raised the motion to upgrade the status of Sandakan and Tawau airports as an alternative entrance for foreign tourists to the Federal Government through the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.
"If this is realised, the tourism industry in the East Coast will continue to grow," she said. She said Kota Kinabalu will introduce a new event from Dec 1, this year, to attract tourists, called the "Api-Api Night Market".
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal is scheduled to launch the programme which is aimed at providing opportunities for small entrepreneurs in addition to being a tourist attraction.
The programme will be held eight times a month, every Friday and Saturday, from 6pm until 2am and open to food, seasonal fruits and handicrafts traders.
On another note, she said global tourism for 2018 is expected to record a good growth at four to five percent.
She said arrival of Asian tourism is expected to record better growth at around five up to six per cent.
For the period January to September, Sabah received 308 unscheduled flights (special and extra charter) linking Sabah with 297 destinations.
As of Oct 30, this year, Sabah is connected with 24 international flights by 13 foreign airlines providing 216 flights per week.
Liew said her ministry will continue to develop Sabah's tourism sector by focusing on quality and digital marketing activities.
She also stated that her Ministry is aware of the importance of domestic tourists as the sector is more stable than international travelers who are sensitive to external factors. She was responding to the Karanaan Assemblyman Datuk Masidi Manjun's suggestion for the State tourism to focus on domestic tourism.
She said to date, the Ministry maintains 60 per cent of the domestic market and 40 per cent of the international market. "I have also directed efforts to attract domestic tourists to be enhanced through several initiatives," she said.
Among them is to collaborate with AirAsia to bring domestic Key Opinion Leaders (KoLs) from the media and social media to promote routes, namely, Kuala Lumpur-Sandakan, Tawau-Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur-Tawau and Johor Baharu-Tawau.
Her Ministry also took note of the recommendation by Masidi for them to collaborate with hotel operators in creating tour packages.
"Discussions with hotel operators to produce creative packages are being intensified," she said
On the tourism tax collected in Sabah, she said her Ministry will discuss with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture for tourism purposes in Sabah.
On the proposal by Kuala Penyu Assemblyman Limus Jury on the entry of tourists to Pulau Tiga, Liew said the matter was determined by the tourism agency offering travel packages to Kuala Penyu, including to Pulau Tiga Park.
However, travel agencies ferrying tourists to Taman Pulau Tiga are encouraged to enter through Kuala Penyu town.
On the collection of entrance fees to Taman Pulau Tiga collected by Sabah Parks, she said the money is used to cover the cost of park operations.
The total collection fees is only RM216, 000 in a year.
"This amount is only about 28 per cent of the total operating and maintenance costs of the Park which reaches RM780,000 a year, excluding staff's salary and allowance of 24 people," she explained. - Sherell Jeffrey
Photo Source: Christina Liew FB Page
Source: Daily Express
