Rural Kiulu aims to bring in 60,000 tourists this year
KIULU: Tucked away in the valley, the Bambangan Lama Recreation Centre (PRBL) is a potential getaway from the city that promises visitors a quiet stay with plenty of food supply.
In addition to taking in the peaceful natural surroundings, the community-based tourism spot offers guests the experience to pick their own vegetables from a nearby farm for free consumption.
State Tourism, Culture, and Environment Assistant Minister cum Sabah Tourism Board chairman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai recently visited the eco-tourism site at Kampung Bambangan Lama to launch its registration office building and the newly upgraded Tukad Purak Pakou climbing stairway.
Joniston also toured the site, visiting the steep hiking trail and vegetable farm as well as inspecting guest cottages along the river, and other amenities.
“Looking at the travelling trend, I believe people yearn to explore off-the-beaten-path attractions such as PRBL, which is another ideal location to unwind.
“What makes this place interesting is that guests can visit a nearby farm and learn about local crops from the villagers. They can pluck vegetables for free and cook their own farm food.
“This is the type of experience we aim to provide visitors, particularly our international tourists. I hope the rural community will keep coming up with new ways to make their tourism site stand out,” said Joniston.
During his visit, Joniston also launched the village’s new gravity water supply, a road leading to the village’s cemetery, and a concrete road leading to a church.
The PRBL is among 63 community-based tourism and private operators in Kiulu that have begun operations, reflecting Kiulu’s readiness to receive domestic and foreign tourists.
Kiulu Tourism Association president Mejin Monginggow said they aim to attract roughly 60,000 visitors this year with the recent opening of the country’s borders.
“For 2021 arrival, the association projected approximately 40,000 visitors despite the challenges facing rural tourism.
“When the national border reopens, our goal in Kiulu for this year is not to set the bar too high as tourism has only begun to take off. However, we are confident that international tourists will return,” he said.
Mejin said of the 63 operators who had started running their tourism sites, five of them are new operators.
“It is our goal that Kiulu will continue to attract tourists and that the tourism minstry would organise a roadshow to provide tourists with the most up-todate information on the products available in Kiulu,” he said.