“We are trying to keep abreast of 21st century trends in how we promote our tourism products and that is why we are focusing more on social media and new media,” she said after launching the MASwings Misomporu Homestay packages in this northern Sabah district yesterday.
She said Sabah homestay packages had attracted 17,528 tourists in 2010 who contributed some RM2.46mil in receipts and the figure increased to 34,578 visitors with receipts totalling RM3.54mil. Dr Ng said that for the first four months of this year alone 7,714 tourists had contributed some RM1.04mil by taking up various homestay packages in the state.
She said that apart from developing apps, other efforts taken by her ministry to promote the homestay programmes included taking part in various tourism fairs in Singapore, London and Berlin as well as providing a total of RM800,000 to various homestay entrepreneurs to upgrade their facilities. Dr Ng said homestay programmes helped rural families economically.
“By participating in homestay programmes, rural families need not be dependent on income from agriculture or forest produce alone,” she said, noting that such packages would also encourage indigenous communities to preserve their cultures. Citing an example, tourists signing up for homestay packages at the Misomporu homestay in Kudat have an opportunity to stay in a traditional Rungus longhouse.
The homestay packages, which include return air fare between Kota Kinabalu and Kudat and activities such as searching for forest food and mangrove trekking, cost between RM570 and RM790 per person.
-thestar online.
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