KOTA KINABALU: Rural tourism in Sabah is the best in the country due to the diverse tourism products found in this part of the country.
Malaysia Homestay Operators Association vice-president Datuk Jeffrey Ayah@Cobra said the homestay programme has a lot of unique activities to offer tourists according to the culture and traditions of the various participating ethnic groups in this industry.
Besides the having the highest mountain in Malaysia, Mt Kinabalu and the highest Via Ferrata situated at the mountain, Sabah also boasts other interesting features such as Rafflesia and Pitcher Plants or Nepenthes.
“These can be promoted besides all the beautiful and interesting sights and sites that we have including the sailing,” he stressed.
During a volunsharing programme at Rumah Terbalik in Tamparuli which was jointly organised by Sabah Homestay Association (SHA), state Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (Motac), and United Tuaran Tourism Association, he said, the 7-tier Maliau Falls the best diving sites and the oldest rainforests in the world were good tourism products.
Cobra who is also Sabah Homestay Association (SHA) advisor said there had been a lull in rural tourism notably in homestays and kampungstays as well as farmstays during the MCO but he believed that they would be able to recover as soon as they started operations again.
To boost this, he would be delivering a presentation on the homestay products and activities in Malaysia at the Asean tourism and homestay talk in the Philippines next month.
“I hope that the presentation will be able to boost homestay tourism in Sabah and that the 32 registered members will be able to pick up and operate better than before,” he said.
On the homestay, he said the rural communities were always encouraged to practice good governance and work closely with the state MOTAC office to improve their products in order to meet the targeted international markets.
“Homestay has come a long way from the days when tourists visit paddy fields, experience the nature via jungle trekking, watch cultural performances and enjoy river cruises. After ten years, we have moved forward and created many other products that are of interest to tourists.”
“In Misompuru Homestay for instance, operators are promoting paragliding, bird watching, diving and sailing. This is in cooperation with Sail Malaysia,” Cobra said, adding that they also promoted sailing adventures to Kinabatangan River and diving at Blue Hole in Lahad Datu.
He advised homestay operators to always be on hand to welcome their guests and to create only one entrance to their home. This was the true form of homestay, for guests to stay and experience the home and culture of their hosts.
“If you have a separate room built outside of the main house, make sure that the reception is on the main house, and afterwards, you can lead them to the rooms,” he said.
Also present during the event was the Rumah Terbalik proprietor Mr Alexander Yee who is also the President of United Tuaran Tourism Association (UTTA) and Sabah Homestay Association Chairman Mr Duanis Mogirong, as well as Azizul ismail MOTAC Sabah Assistant Director, Salizan Mohd Ali and Noorshanti Huddin both officers from MOTAC development unit.-Anna Vivienne/BNN
