The Sabah Tourism, Culture, and Environment Assistant Minister urged village folk to be proactive in promoting their community to tourists seeking to experience coastal and water village lifestyle as an option to staying in resorts.
Also present were the ministry’s deputy permanent secretary Mary Malangking, STB deputy chief executive officer Julinus Jimit, Federation of Rural Tourism Association Sabah president and STB board member Walter Kandayon as well as Semporna assistant district officer Hafizul Hafiz Ladja Hassan. “The Sabah Tourism Board has embarked on a concerted effort to empower rural folk through the community-based tourism initiative since 2014 and it is well received with Sabah having over 100 COBTs now.
The Assistant Minister praised Bum-Bum villagers for showing their commitment in promoting their island as an attraction, whereby some villagers have begun turning their homes into homestays.