SANDAKAN: Sabah’s efforts to strengthen its position as a world-class ecotourism destination must balance tourism growth with environmental protection and benefits for local communities, said Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin.
He said sustainable destination management was a priority as the East Coast continued to draw visitors with its biodiversity and natural attractions, speaking at the launch of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Sustainable Tourism Course focusing on the Destination Standard at a hotel here on Tuesday.
The three-day programme, running from Oct 13 to 15, brings together about 32 tourism stakeholders from Sandakan, Kinabatangan, Tawau, Semporna and Lahad Datu to learn about internationally recognised sustainability standards and their application in destination management, including the protection of natural assets such as Danum Valley, Sipadan Island Park and wildlife corridors along the Kinabatangan River.
Jafry commended the Sabah Tourism Board and GSTC for organising the training, which involves government agencies, private destination management organisations and conservation authorities, including Sabah Parks, the Sabah Wildlife Department and the Sabah Forestry Department, and said participants should develop practical action plans to balance tourism development with conservation and community well-being.
The programme includes a field visit to Kopel in Kampung Batu Puteh, Kinabatangan, on Oct 15 to examine community-led ecotourism and its contribution to livelihoods and biodiversity conservation, while Bilit Adventure Lodge is scheduled to receive its GSTC certification certificate from Vireo during the programme; participants will be trained by certified GSTC trainer Mochamed Nalendra from Bandung, Indonesia.
