Kota Kinabalu: Sustainable tourism is increasingly being recognised not only as an engine of economic growth but also as a powerful driver of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with conservation, responsible investment and community participation forming the foundation for long-term prosperity.
Sabah’s globally recognised natural assets are attracting investment that protects biodiversity while creating jobs, strengthening rural livelihoods and improving climate resilience.
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Sabah Parks Chief Sustainability Officer and Centre for Sustainability and Capacity Building head Ludi Apin said Sabah’s internationally recognised Unesco Triple Crown, comprising Kinabalu Park, the Kinabalu Unesco Global Geopark and the Crocker Range Biosphere Reserve, demonstrates that environmental protection and economic development can reinforce one another.
“Healthy ecosystems are the living infrastructure of civilisation. When we invest in nature, we are simultaneously investing in water security, climate resilience, community well-being and sustainable prosperity for future generations,” he said at the Sabah Asia-Pacific Impact Investing for Sustainable Development Summit 2026.
The interconnected landscape spans about 800,000 hectares across 12 districts, supporting more than one million people in over 700 villages.
Beyond conserving globally significant biodiversity, the protected areas safeguard water resources, regulate climate and preserve geological and cultural heritage.
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Ludi said these ecosystems should be viewed as natural infrastructure that underpins Sabah’s economy, with sustainable tourism transforming conservation into tangible benefits for local communities.
Visitors attracted by Sabah’s biodiversity, geological heritage and indigenous cultures generate income for tour operators, transport providers, food producers and community enterprises, while tourism revenues also finance environmental education, ecosystem restoration and protected area management.
“This strengthens the positive cycle of the ecosystem, attracts visitors, visitors generate revenue, revenue supports communities and conservation and stronger conservation maintains a healthy ecosystem,” he said.
Habitat Foundation Co-founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees Dato’ Sri Harry Cockrell said conservation initiatives must move beyond protecting nature to creating financially sustainable economic models that benefit both ecosystems and communities.
He said the Habitat Group’s journey began with ecotourism before expanding into sustainable tourism, regenerative agriculture, nature conservation and carbon finance, reflecting a broader shift towards impact investing.
“Healthy ecosystems are not simply environmental assets. They are economic assets,” Cockrell said, noting that forests secure water supplies, mangroves protect coastlines, peatlands store carbon, while biodiversity supports agriculture, fisheries and tourism.
The organisation is dedicated to developing and operating world-class sustainable tourism destinations, immersive nature–culture experiences and certified nature-based solutions. The Group is particularly known for The Habitat Penang Hill, the iconic rainforest discovery within the Unesco-designated Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve.
It has expanded the work beyond tourism. Supported by a philanthropic gift from Cockrell’s family and the group’s commercial activities, it has since evolved into a trusted conservation organisation.
It works alongside government agencies, international organisations and philanthropic partners, including the Ministry of Finance of Malaysia, the European Union, banks and foundations among others to support diversity, conservation, sustainable tourism and community initiatives across Malaysia, including Sabah.
Among the group’s flagship initiatives is to restore more than 97,000 hectares of peatland forest through carbon finance while supporting biodiversity conservation and local livelihoods.
Another project combines wildlife protection with regenerative agriculture, ecotourism and carbon projects to establish sustainable long-term income streams.
Cockrell said the projects illustrate how conservation can become an economic asset instead of a financial burden.
“Sustainability asks us to reduce the harm we cause. Regeneration asks us to leave places healthier than we found them,” he said, adding that Sabah was well positioned to become a leader in regenerative conservation because of its biodiversity, natural resources, indigenous communities and growing focus on sustainable development.
He added that the next phase of conservation would depend on partnerships between governments, investors, communities and businesses, supported by patient capital and innovative financing.
Private sector investors echoed that approach.
Henry Chou, Assistant General Manager of Sinyi Realty’s tourism development division in Taiwan, said the family-owned company has long prioritised responsible business over short-term profits, an investment philosophy that now guides its sustainable tourism projects in Sabah.
“Do the right thing first and then profits will come,” he said, describing a corporate philosophy established more than four decades ago that considers customers, employees, shareholders, business partners, communities and the environment in every investment decision.
He is co-leading the development of luxury resorts with the purpose of contributing to and shaping what high-end sustainable tourism could look like in Sabah. He is focused on preserving Sabah’s natural beauty and sharing it with the rest of the world through eco-tourism.
Sinyi is investing more than RM1 billion in two tourism developments in Sabah: the Melinsung InterContinental Resort and the rehabilitation of Mengalum Island, with sustainability integrated into their design.
The mainland resort is targeting international green building certification, while the island project aims to become a pioneering operational net-zero tourism destination powered largely by renewable energy.
The company has also invested in turtle conservation, reforestation, biodiversity monitoring and carbon stock assessments before commencing tourism development.
Chou acknowledged construction challenges but said the company remained committed to establishing “a new benchmark for sustainable tourism development” in Sabah.
Collectively, the all three speakers highlighted how sustainable tourism contributes directly to multiple Sustainable Development Goals, including decent work and economic growth, responsible consumption and production, climate action, life on land, clean water and sanitation and partnerships for sustainable development.
Rather than viewing conservation as a cost, they argued that protecting forests, rivers, wildlife and local cultures creates long-term economic value by attracting investment, supporting livelihoods and strengthening resilience against climate change.
As Sabah positions itself as a global destination for nature-based tourism and impact investment, the summit underscored a growing consensus that the future of tourism lies not simply in attracting more visitors, but in ensuring every investment leaves both communities and ecosystems stronger than before.
