KUCHING, Dec 31: Federal Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Dato Seri Tiong King Sing hopes to preserve the authenticity and culture of longhouses in Sarawak to make it a more competitive tourism project.
He said the goal would focus on identifying longhouses that are suitable to be used as homestays.
“Homestays need to be upgraded to provide quality services and offer uniqueness and a valuable experience for tourists.
“Therefore, we need to ensure cleanliness, safety, facilities and so on are at the maximum level so that tourists can have a great and enjoyable stay experience,” he said in a Facebook post today.
Tiong, who is also Bintulu MP and Dudong assemblyman, further said that apart from providing accommodation, the longhouses should also organise cultural programmes for the duration of the tourists’ stay, including folk dance performances, cooking, traditional ceremonies and so on.
“In the field of tourism, which is becoming more intense and challenging now, we should present something special for the tourists.
“It’s important because we don’t want them to feel like they’re just ‘stopping over’ at a tourist location; rather, we want them to really integrate into the life of the local community,” he added. — DayakDaily
