Malaysian tourism professionals urge collaboration on sustainability efforts

 

From left: Eco-STEPS’ Kingston Khoo; The Habitat Foundation’s Justine Vaz; Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre’s Wong Siew Te and Batu Batu’s Cher Chua-Lassalvy discuss innovative approaches to sustainable tourism development; photo by Rachel AJ Lee

Leading figures in Malaysia’s sustainable tourism sector have sounded an urgent call for collective action to address environmental and social challenges while promoting responsible travel.

Speaking on the Sustainability Pioneers: Malaysian SMEs Driving Change panel at the ASEAN Tourism Conference on January 15, session moderator and founder and president of Eco-STEPS (Sustainable Tourism & Environmental Protection Society) Malaysia, Kingston Khoo, highlighted the slow global progress in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

To help Malaysia on its sustainability journey, Justine Vaz, executive director of The Habitat Foundation, and Cher Chua-Lassalvy, co-founder and managing director of Batu Batu, jointly established the Sustainable Tourism Malaysia network.

The Habitat Foundation is a charitable trust based in Penang. It influences biodiversity conservation at a national level and focuses on empowering local communities, enhancing their livelihoods, and promoting under-appreciated destinations. Its sister organisation under The Habitat Group is The Habitat Penang Hill, a rainforest park.

“The network that we formed comprises NGOs, government organisations, and tourism businesses. We help our network members communicate what they do, where they do it, and (strengthen) their visibility. We also do consumer education and help people to make better (environmental) choices,” said Vaz.

Vaz shared that the foundation is undertaking several projects in preparation for Visit Malaysia 2026, including the development of new trails and an exhibition showcasing the region’s rich tin mining history in Perlis.

Meanwhile, Chua-Lassalvy shared her experience in transitioning Batu Batu – an eco-island located two hours from Johor Bahru – from traditional tourism to a regenerative model, aiming to create positive impacts on the environment and local communities while offering restorative and thought-provoking retreats. It was challenging, she shared, having to deal with problems such as overflowing sewage issues, oil spills that the waves carried in, and trash pollution.

She also encouraged the audience to create destination coordination groups, where stakeholders can discuss, share, negotiate, and find a sustainable way forward.

“This is one thing that the Sustainable Tourism Network does. The plan is to get everyone who is working in sustainable tourism to get together, share their knowledge and databases, so that the industry can progress,” she explained.

Wong Siew Te, CEO and founder, Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, shared how wildlife conservation and nature-based tourism can be mutually beneficial. The centre generates revenue through responsible tourism, which in turn supports conservation efforts and improves the livelihoods of local communities.

“We need to nurture future generations to help protect our environment as much as possible,” he stressed.

Chua-Lassalvy advised the industry to listen to and learn from local communities, rather than impose external ideas. By respecting their knowledge and integrating their cultural heritage, truly authentic and sustainable tourism experiences can be developed.

Vaz said: “I’m currently working on establishing a new protected area in Malaysia, twice the size of Singapore. While the potential for eco-tourism that can benefit the seven villages living (deep in the forest) is significant, we must ensure that their livelihoods and cultural integrity are not compromised by rapid tourism development.”

-TTG Asia.