TENOM: The traditional cuisine and culture of the Hakka community have been developed into a tourism product at Kampung Lagud here, located 176km from the state capital, Kota Kinabalu.
The Sabah Tourism Board team led by state Assistant Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai visited the farmstay yesterday to launch the newest product.
The farmstay's owner Lawrence Wong said there were about 30 Hakka families in the village whom they want to empower to join the tourism activities.
He said the idea to transform the only Hakka community village in the district was inspired by his travels and observations of other successful destinations.
"Teamwork is essential for us to move the community forward and empower the village through tourism.
"With the assistance of the Sabah Tourism Board, the Hakka community here will surely have the confidence to participate in tourism activities," he said.
The farmstay also provides visitors with the opportunity to learn about local crops around Tenom, which is well known for its agrotourism.
The farmstay also collaborated with other Hakka farmers and restaurateurs to serve authentic Hakka cuisine for visitors to sample.
Padas farmstay's owner Tham Yau Kong, who also specialises in the Sandakan-Ranau Death March tourism product, said food tourism has the potential to attract returning customers.
"Having been in the tourism industry for so long, I want to share the successful experience I have gained and help the local Chinese communities here because they are rich in culture, tradition and heritage.
"Tenom Hakka food has been around for decades but little has been done to market it.
"Therefore, I want to spread the word so more people can come here to explore and enjoy authentic Hakka cuisine," he added.
He expressed hoped that Kudat district, which also has a sizable Hakka population, would be inspired by the initiative taken by the Tenom's Hakka community.
Meanwhile, Joniston said expanding gastronomic tourism in this interior district would allow Tenom to capitalise on the demand for authentic Hakka experiences.
"This is a good start to elevate the Hakka community and I see the potential of expanding this effort to other districts, where there is a Hakka population.
"Sabah Tourism Board sees this as an effort to bring in more tourists, especially the Chinese, and I am confident this authentic experience will become a hit not only for tourists but also locals," he said.
The tourism team also inspected and updated their product knowledge at the Tenom Valley ran by Roger Voo; Tropical Fruits Farm owned by Ken Lim, Pamelo Tenom Farm operated by Fiona Yong, and Padas farmstay.