By Wilfred Pilo
KUCHING, Oct 12: Sarawak has identified five ecotourism clusters within the Heart of Borneo (HOB), says Deputy Minister for Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment Datuk Len Talif Salleh.
Len Talif revealed that the five clusters are Sri Aman-Batang Ai-Ulu Sungai Menyang-Maludam; Sibu-Kapit-Tunoh -Baleh-Pelagus; Miri-Sibuti-Niah-Loagan Bunut; Limbang-Mulu-Gunung Buda and Lundu-Sempadi-Tanjung Datu-Sarawak Delta Geopark.
He said as Sarawak’s economy is increasingly tourism-oriented, the government agencies and the local communities need to work together with the private sector to ensure that these areas become leading destinations for eco-tourism.
“This is to ensure that the development of the eco-tourism industry is at the forefront of green, sustainable and fair practice partnerships.”
Len Talif made these remarks when officiating at a HoB seminar titled “Generai-Long Mekaba Scientific Expedition—Exploring the Hinterland of North Eastern Sarawak” on behalf of Deputy Premier Datuk Awang Tengah Ali Hasan who is also Minister for Natural Resources and Urban Development at a hotel here today.
He explained that in recognising the importance of ecotourism, Malaysia has developed the National Ecotourism Plan (NEP) 2016-2025 to align with the unique transboundary ecotourism sites within HoB.
Leveraging on the HoB brand allows Sarawak to showcase its positive efforts, including community engagement initiatives and sustainable practices like the tagang system and ecotourism which could benefit both environment and local communities, he said.
Permanent Secretary to Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry, And Performing Arts Datu Sherrina Hussani and Director of Forests Sarawak Datu Hamden Mohammad were also present. — DayakDaily
