Kota Kinabalu: The State Government is emphasising on rural tourism to eradicate poverty, said Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin.
The community-based tourism was given focus in 2014 to empower the rural people in tourism activities. The concept also enhanced the community harmony and raise their awareness on the importance to protect the nature, he said.
The Tourism Ministry has set its sight to make rural tourism more competitive and world class by 2025, said Jafry in his speech for the briefing on community-based tourism programme with district officers and district council executive officers at a hotel here on Monday.