One-day seminar for homestay operators

Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) is calling for participation from those residing in Mambong, Serian and Mas Gading parliamentary constituencies, especially homestay operators to a one-day Tourism Seminar on Dec 3. MPP Standing Committee for Tourism, Culture and Event Management chairman Munded Bandat said the seminar was organised by MPP in collaboration with the Tourism Ministry and Tourism Malaysia. “We are calling homestay operators in the three areas to take part in the seminar ... they will be exposed to many aspects of operating the homestay programme as well as other tourism-related activities which can generate income for them,” Munded told StarMetro.

Munded said the tourism the sector, currently the second major money-spinner for the country was also picking up well in the three constituencies. “It’s a loss if the locals don’t take part in it or any tourism-related business, he added. “Last year the tourism sector generated RM53bil, which translates to more than RM1bil in weekly income for the country. With such a huge amount of money, locals should realise its potential and consider taking up businesses related to the industry,” he pointed out.

Meanwhile, Munded said MPP would implement various tourism and tourism-related projects to boost the growth of the sector in areas under its jurisdiction. These included a tourist information centre, costing RM100,000, which would be built at Kampung Timurang, along Jalan Puncak Borneo next year, he said. He said Kampung Timurang was picked for the centre because the village and its nearby neighbours had great tourism potential. “For example in Kampung Timurang, there’s the Rafflesia flower, jungle trekking ... at nearby Kampung Annah Rais, there’s the hot springs,” he said.

Another fast gaining popularity is the Padawan Raft Safari, started by event management company Lynch Media and Services in 2000 in collaboration with the Dayak Bidayuh National Association (DBNA) Penrissen Branch. MPP, DBNA and Lynch Media and Services were joint organisers in 2001 but since 2002, MPP has been going it alone. Munded said the raft safari had been the most successful event organised by MPP and efforts were being made to attract more participants for next year’s competition, adding that the route had also been extended. Besides sports tourism, Munded said MPP was also promoting culture tourism in the form of traditional dances, music and costumes.

In Bau District, the Tourism Ministry would develop a homestay programme at Bung Muan near Kampung Peninjau. On Nov 20, Tourism Deputy Minister Datuk Dr James Dawos Mamit would be making a visit to Bung Muan to see for himself the place and to announce the ministry’s development plan for the historical village, Munded added.

-thestar online.