KOTA KINABALU: Bingkor, located in the interior division of Sabah, will be transformed into a sustainable rural tourism destination by the Sabah Tourism Board (STB).
STB chief financial officer Julinus Jeffrey Jimit said Bingkor has the potential to draw tourists to tour the state's interior attractions.
"While we encourage tourists to visit and experience the state's major attractions, we also encourage them to explore the countryside and interact with the local community," he said during an engagement with 47 village development and security committees (JPKK) in Mukim Bingkor recently.
Organised in collaboration with the Keningau Tourism and Culture Association (KTCA), the engagement session was officiated by State Assistant Works Minister and Bingkor assemblyman Datuk Robert Tawik.
During the engagement session, Julinus gave a presentation on the tourism industry and how rural communities can benefit from it, especially now that travel is fully resumed with the reopening of the country's international borders.
Among other things, the programme aims to raise awareness among JPKK representatives about tourism products that can be developed, particularly community-based tourism products in Bingkor.
Additionally, they were also briefed on the importance of equipping themselves with digital marketing skills to efficiently market their tourism products.
Julinus added that similar engagement would be expanded to Keningau and other districts soon to empower and reach out to as many rural communities as possible.
"It is part of the product team's role to support rural communities in consistently unlocking their potential and creating opportunities for them to thrive through tourism," he explained.
Bingkor, about 10 kilometres from Keningau, has a predominantly Dusun population. Nature, culture, and handicrafts are abundant in the area, but they have yet to be developed.
At the moment, Bingkor does not have a community-based tourism offering, but the development of Bandukan Eco Park is in the works.
The community will manage the new tourism product, with assistance and training from the STB.
In addition, KTCA will work with STB to use QR codes to capture visitors to Bingkor.