According to the Sabah Tourism Board (STB), rural communities in remote villages in Sabah have the opportunity to improve their livelihood through tourism. The chairman of STB, Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, mentioned that they are currently identifying rural tourism products in these remote areas that can be promoted to outsiders. He stated that tourism plays a significant role in empowering rural communities and stimulating economic growth.
STB has already identified 133 rural tourism products across the 10 poorest districts in Sabah. These products include community-based tourism, homestays, and ventures owned by individuals. The districts with these tourism offerings are Tongod, Beluran, Pitas, Kinabatangan, Kota Marudu, Tuaran, Ranau, and Lahad Datu, which were highlighted as poverty-stricken areas. Two other districts, Nabawan and Telupid, were also listed in reports as poverty-stricken based on statistics.
Bangkuai, who also serves as the state Assistant Tourism, Culture, and Environment Minister, emphasized the crucial role of tourism in driving economic recovery in these districts. He mentioned that STB’s product division is working to identify potential rural tourism products and provide assistance to local communities to expand in the tourism sector. He expressed a desire to collaborate with Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli to discuss tourism-related initiatives and work together to uplift Sabah from poverty.
He believes that involving the Federal Economy Ministry in these efforts will help in understanding how they can support Sabah’s journey out of poverty. Additionally, he sees an opportunity in leveraging agricultural activities into agro-tourism experiences, as many rural individuals are involved in farming. The development of tourism products focusing on the poorest districts was a topic of discussion during a meeting of STB’s Product Rural Tourism Committee.
