KUALA LUMPUR – Kg Batu Puteh of Sabah’s Lower Kinabatangan River was awarded the inaugural Best Tourism Village Award by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) in Madrid, Spain yesterday.
The official announcement and awards ceremony yesterday was attended by Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri and Batu Puteh Community Ecotourism Cooperative chairman Abdul Sanih Nasri, who received the award from UNWTO secretary-general Zurab Pololikashvili.
The Batu Puteh community is made up of local rural people, fisherfolk and farmers, and the ministry, in a statement today, said the village-based community cooperative, which encompasses a number of ecotourism ventures and conservation initiatives, has more than 350 members and cooperative shareholders.
The joint venture led by the Model Ecologically Sustainable Community and Tourism, together with the award-winning Miso Walai Homestay, offers an organised community-based cultural tourism experience, the statement said.
Following the prestigious award, Nancy said that Batu Puteh is a successful model of responsible rural tourism, ecotourism and community-based tourism, which Malaysia continues to promote extensively.
“This tourism niche is one of the country’s main areas of strength considering the abundance of natural assets, heritage and cultural diversity with which we are blessed,” Nancy said as reported by Bernama.
For Malaysia, she said the global pandemic crisis had presented an opportunity for a new beginning as there is a rising interest in ‘second city’ travel and the exploration of lesser-known destinations.
“I believe this is the best time to promote hidden gems in our countryside, as tourists are expected to prefer nature-based destinations with a laid-back lifestyle and plenty of fresh air,” Nancy added.
The minister also commended UNWTO for its introduction of timely initiatives for such awards.
“These awards and recognition programmes will go a long way to infuse a greater sense of purpose and pride among the homegrown small and micro enterprises which make up the majority of tourism enterprises in the Asia Pacific region,” Nancy concluded.
Meanwhile, a statement issued by the Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry today said Kg Batu Puteh was selected from 170 applications from 75 nations.
They were judged based on their cultural, natural richness and commitment to sustainability.
The win was contributed by the Batu Puteh Community Tourism Cooperative, Kopel Bhd, which started their community-based tourism in 2000 via the Miso Walai Homestay.
“The requirement for the application includes low population density with a maximum of 15,000 inhabitants.
“Located in a landscape with an important presence of traditional activities such as agriculture, forestry, livestock or fishing, and the sharing of community values and lifestyle,” it stated.
Kopel CEO Martin Vogel said: “The Kopel team was ecstatic when they heard the news. It was a huge boost to their morale after 18 months of pandemic losses and zero international tourism income.”
“We were even more excited when we received sponsorship to attend the awards ceremony with the Tourism Ministry,” he said.
Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin said the award is a true recognition of the Batu Puteh community effort.
“I hope this will serve as a great motivation for them to continue in their good work,” he said.
Receiving the award last night were Kopel chairman Abd Sanih Nasri, his deputy, Mohamad Juhari Kadir and conservation manager Saidal Udin. – The Vibes, December 3, 2021
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