Kampung Darau community with UMS and DBKK after the workshop
KOTA KINABALU, 14 DECEMBER – Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) under the Faculty of Business, Economics and Accountancy (FBEA), and Department of City Tourism Development, Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK), organised Community-Based Tourism Action Plan workshop for the community of Kampung Darau, Inanam recently.
The Head of Tourism Management Program in UMS, Associate Professor Dr. Awangku Hassanal Bahar Pengiran Bagul says, the workshop was as part of DBKK initiative of capacity building in preparing to start tourism activities in their village.
“UMS, DBKK, the community of Kampung Darau realise that the village has a great potential as one of the emerging community-based tourism sites in Kota Kinabalu, and everyone is very committed to making it happen by 2022.
“The tourism activity, in turn, will encourage the community to protect the beautiful river, mangrove and interesting wildlife such as the beavers and birds around the village while empowering and creating economic benefits for the village,” he said in his speech during the opening ceremony.
The one-day workshop was participated by 29 villagers of Kampung Darau.
According to Awangku Hassanal, the Director for the Department of City Tourism Development, DBKK, Fauziahton Ag. Samad; and two lecturers from UMS, Dr. Noor Fzlinda Fabeil and Dr. Kelvin Yong, were invited to facilitate the local community to develop their Tourism Action Plan for the village.
“At the end of the workshop, the local community managed to complete the Community-Based Tourism Action Plan that consists of three clusters: Developing Tourism Activity, Marketing and Promoting Tourism Activity, and Enhancing Community’s Capacity for the year 2022.
“In addition to that, the facilitators also ensures that the action plan will fulfill the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals number 4, 5, 8, 9, 11 and 17, which includes quality education, gender equality, decent work, and economic growth, industry, innovation and infrastructure, sustainable cities and communities and finally, partnership for the goals,” said Hassanal who is also the workshop coordinator.
Meanwhile, the Chairman for Village Development and Security Committee, Anan Usoh, in his closing speech, mentions The Community-Based Tourism Action Plan is an integral part of the village’s strategic development plan to achieve the best results and satisfy all stakeholders.
“Hopefully, the action plan will be able to ensure the tourism in the village to be sustainable and avoid negative impacts,” he added.
