Kiulu: The total revenue from Community-Based Tourism (CoBT) in Sabah rose to RM7 million last year compared to RM6.7 million in 2023, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor. He highlighted that the CoBT revenue came from 18 active districts, primarily in rural areas, marking significant growth in this sector.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Hajiji emphasized the importance of tourism as a key component in the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) Roadmap, with Kiulu being one of the primary pilot programs under CoBT development. During his speech at the 2025 Tuaran District-level Kaamatan Festival launch at Kiulu Community Hall, he urged for active development of CoBT due to its economic potential for rural communities.
Hajiji also acknowledged the efforts of four CoBT associations in the state, including the Kiulu Tourism Association, which recently signed memoranda of understanding (MoU) with four universities and a tourism body from Taiwan. The other associations are the Tambunan Tourism Association, the Sabah Coffee Entrepreneurs Association, and the Kampung Tambatuon Kadamaian Women’s Community Association in Kota Belud. He noted that these collaborations are expected to significantly benefit local tourism through knowledge transfer and community empowerment.
He further encouraged the Kiulu district to leverage its tourism and agriculture potential as a catalyst for economic growth, identifying it as one of the state’s CoBT operators. Hajiji also announced that the first-ever Community-Based Tourism Conference, organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with the Sabah Tourism Board, would be held in Kota Kinabalu in June to further bolster Sabah’s tourism sector.
The Chief Minister approved an allocation of RM1.1 million for several development projects in the Kiulu state constituency. He reported that Sabah recorded 923,709 tourist arrivals in the first quarter of this year, aiming for a target of 3.5 million visitors by the year’s end. Hajiji expressed confidence in exceeding this target, similar to 2024 when the state attracted 3.2 million visitors against an initial target of 3 million.
Hajiji stressed the necessity of upgrading rural infrastructure to support tourism and agriculture growth. He pointed out that quality infrastructure not only benefits the people of Sabah but also serves as a significant attraction for both domestic and international tourists.
In his concluding remarks, Hajiji urged the public to support government initiatives aimed at enhancing the state’s development, with tourism being a critical driver of Sabah’s economy. During the Kaamatan Festival launch, he also announced the renaming of the Kiulu Community Hall to Dewan Masyarakat OKK Rampas.