Community-based rural tourism gains popularity
Published on: Saturday, December 14, 2019
By: Bernama
KOTA BELUD: Pesta Badi Tamu Taginambur will be included in Sabah’s tourism calendar as it is capable of uplifting Kadamaian as among must-visit rural tourism destinations in the State, said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Christina Liew.
She said community-based rural tourism is becoming more appealing to domestic and international tourists, adding this was evident from success of several rural community-based eco-tourism operators who managed to generate income of more than RM1 million from the payments or fees to rural tourism centres.
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“Besides Kadamaian, such tourism activity is also popular in Kiulu, Tambunan and Ranau. It indirectly provides a source of income and also jobs for the villagers,” she said when opening Kadamaian’s Pesta Badi Taginambur, near here, Friday.
Liew said the Government, through her ministry, is committed to developing community-based tourism (CBT) because tourists today like to visit rural areas to learn the cultural tradition, food, handicraft and way of life of the local community.
“Kadamaian has a great potential to be developed as a CBT centre for its beautiful natural surroundings like rivers and forests as well as scenic views with Mount Kinabalu in the background,” she said.
Pesta Badi was first held in 2017 with the name Pesta Kadamaian Badi (Tamu), in conjunction with the Kadamaian Visit Month, on the initiatives of the Kadamaian Tourism Association (Kata) and communities of eight villages in Taginambur, with the collaboration of Kota Belud District Council.
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This year’s festival is organised by the Taginambur Tourism Association (Tagta) in collaboration with Kota Belud District Office, with the full support of Kadamaian Assemblyman Datuk Ewon Benedick, who is also State Rural Development Minister.
The festival is meant, among others, to give an opportunity to Taginambur farmers and handicraft makers to promote their produce, apart from showing the situation at the tamu ground which was previously called Badi Hari Lima Batu 10 (Mile 10 Friday Tamu).
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Liew said Pesta Badi is unique as it displayed the diversity of cultures of Kadamaian residents as well as helping to promote Kota Belud areas, especially Kadamaian, as an attractive rural tourism centre in the State.
She said her ministry had contributed RM30,000 to ensure the success of Pesta Tamu Taginambur which would be made as a annual event and would be featured in Sabah’s tourism calendar.
She said it was also part of the aspiration of Datuk Ewon Benedict as the assemblyman to create a similar annual event to identify Kadamaian, sponsored by the Sabah Government.
“My Ministry will channel the annual grant direct to TAGTA as the organising committee,” she said.
She also announced that the ministry will provide RM50,000 for the festival next year.
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