Joniston launching the Pineapple and Local Fruits Festival.
PEKAN NABALU: Renowned for its eco and cultural tourism offerings, Kiulu is now embarking on promoting agro-tourism.
To kick start this initiative, a pineapple and local fruits festival was held here yesterday, which saw encouraging responses from some 60 pineapple and fruit growers and small medium enterprises (SMEs) in Kiulu and nearby Kadamaian.
Representatives from the Malaysian Association of Hotels Sabah branch, Sabah Restaurants and Coffeeshops Association and tour companies attended the event.
A brainchild of Kiulu Assemblyman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, the festival was jointly organised by the Kiulu Assemblyman Service Centre, Sabah Tourism Board, Koperasi Kiulu Bersatu and the Pekan Nabalu Hawkers Association.
Launching the event, Joniston, who is also Assistant Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister, emphasised the need to diversify tourism attractions to encourage visitors to stay longer.
He said offering experiential tourism, such as farm stays, is a promising avenue for rural tourism growth and the way forward for rural tourism players to attract more visitors.
“Agriculture is not just about ensuring food sufficiency for the family and a source of income, but it can also potentially be an attraction for visitors who want to experience the rural community’s way of life,” he said.
Noting that some rural communities have ventured into small-scale processing of local food products, Joniston said it can also be an attraction to visitors.
He also called on the rural community to open up their idle land for crop and fruit cultivation.
