KOTA KINABALU: Homestay and Farmstay operators in Kiulu are pleading with the government to lift the inter-district travel ban during the CMCO.
The present Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) presently imposed in Sabah do not allow inter district-travel within the State and as such rural tourism players are badly effected.
Saidin Tupas, the spokesperson for Kiulu Farmstay said the Inter district travel ban should be lifted during the CMCO as packages being promoted in a small size market were the only way the industry players could survive.
He said rural tourism industry players in his area were badly effected as they had zero income and they had to start from scratch to eke a living, thereby curtailing their economic development, forcing them to go back to basics.
“We have spent our time, our meagre income and our life building up this industry but it seems when we speak up, we are being ignored, because we are villagers. However we know about SOP and we have adhered strictly to it where ever we go,” he stressed.
“The relevant authorities should instead enforce the SOP so that everyone including city dwellers and villagers understand what Covid19 is and how well to act against infections,” he said adding the tourism industry is one of the Government’s income generating sector and as such the authorities should look into and allow villagers to earn from this industry.
Kiulu Farmstay is sited in Kg Mantob Kiulu, where a cluster of traditional structures are sited near a thundering river. They offer accommodations for a family, a cooking area for campers and campsites as well as a hall for visitors.
Visitors are accorded information on the structures building materials, traditional music and handicrafts at the hall. This is where the homestay participants in that area gathered to showcase and sell their handicrafts and food during tourist arrivals.
Saidin said this was one of the focal point of the people there which sadly had been discontinued since the MCO and RMCO last year and early this year. During those months, the farmstay had not seen any tourist arrivals, even domestic ones, and this had caused the participants there tremendous hardship.
Recently, Kohadie Watiman Deputy President of Malaysia Kampungstay and Homestay Association (MKHA) said the Government should lift the inter-district travel ban as it impacted the livelihood of the people involved in the tourism sector.
As the advisor of the Walai Tokou Homestay in Kundasang Ranau, he said operators and members of the association suffered when tourism activities in that area stopped since the MCO and subsequent RMCO occurred last year.
According to him, the situation had worsened as workers in homestays and farmstays had to be laid off due to lack of funds to sustain them, adding that extension of the RMCO with inter-district travel ban would prolong the distressing situation.
Abar Gumpai spokesperson of Taburan Beach Eco Tourism, Kota Belud joined in the appeal to the Government to lift the inter-district travel ban as it had badly impacted rural tourism, including his area.
“We suffered through the months of MCOs and subsequent RMCOs. We did not have any visitors much less tourists coming into our area. I propose that the relevant authorities impose greater attention on the wearing of masks, hand sanitizers and social distancing. That said, they should also allow families to travel together as they come from the same home and live together. That way, we can promote family outings and gathering here within the permissible number and as I said earlier, adhering to strict SOP.”
Recently, Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said although most states would be placed under the conditional MCO (CMCO) and the recovery MCO (RMCO), interstate and inter-district travel was still not allowed.
Sabah is under Conditional MCO (CMCO) effective February 19 to March 4.-BNN
