EMPOWERING THE COMMUNITIES ON THE UPPER STRETCH OF KINABATANGAN RIVER CORRIDOR THROUGH RURAL TOURISM COURSE

KINABATANGAN: Sabah Forestry Department through the EU-REDD+ Project organized a 3 days basic rural tourism course, focusing on homestay establishment and development, which was attended by 34 community members from Kg. Buang Sayang, Kg. Tanjung Bulat, and Kg. Balat  at KOPEL (Koperasi Pelancongan Mukim Batu Puteh Kinabatangan), on Oct 15 to 17.

The training was supported by ten (10) strong resource teams from KePKAS, INFRA Sabah (Institute for Rural Advancement – Sabah Branch), Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC), Sabah Tourism Board (STB) and Ministry of Health Malaysia (KKM).

The EU-REDD+ Project is a 6 years project (2014-2019) funded by the European Union (EU)-with the specific objective to contribute to the sustainable and low carbon development for Sabah in its (3) REDD+ demo sites in Gana, Kota Marudu, Kinabatangan and Kinabalu Ecolinc area.

The potentials of homestay establishment were identified as an alternative source of sustainable livelihood for the communities and protecting their riparian forest areas intact as wildlife corridor at the same time.

Through the REDD+ activities, local communities were involved in forest management which will ensure Kinabatangan remains as a biodiversity hotspot which possesses natural advantage for forest-based recreation.

The three-day course covered various topics such as Introduction and Guidelines on Homestay Programme by KePKAS/MOTAC; Housekeeping and Welcoming Guest by INFRA; Cleanliness and Food/Menu Preparation by KKM; Preparation of Attractive Packages for Homestay by INFRA and Promotion and Marketing by STB.

At the end of the course, each of the community presented their proposed homestay development plan i.e Kg. Balat presented on their Mirumo Iso Walai Homestay; Kg. Buang Sayang on their Mirunggum Homestay; and Kg. Tanjung Bulat on their Miung Tuoi Homestay.

The Project hoped that through this initiative, the local communities at the upper stretch of Kinabatangan River Corridor will be able to venture into ecotourism activities, thus creating a sustainable forest-related alternative livelihood which will enhance also their community-based forest conservation and management in Kinabatangan.