TAPPING into small-town tourism potential, non-governmental organisation Eco-Steps Malaysia plans to forge a new path in sustainable tourism in Sungai Pelek New Village in Selangor.
This initiative aims to transform the local landscape by integrating community-driven experiences with global sustainability standards.
Eco-Steps co-founder Kingston Khoo said by working closely with local stakeholders, the organisation wanted to identify unique cultural and natural assets that could be curated into high-value offerings for international visitors.
“We recently received a RM50,000 socio-economic development grant from the Housing and Local Government Ministry (KPKT) to promote tourism in Sungai Pelek to Western markets, including travellers from Europe and North America.
“Through our experience as hoteliers and tour guides, we see that these travellers are more discerning; they seek deep, experiential connections with local cultures and well- curated, sustainable products,” he said.
Drawing benchmarks from the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), Eco-Steps Malaysia champions sustainability in the hospitality and tourism sector.
Registered in 2023, the NGO currently connects local communities with a network of over 39 international wholesalers and destination management companies (DMCs).
Khoo said they would implement a three-pronged approach including capacity building, product curation and market entry for Sungai Pelek New Village.
“First, we will empower local residents and micro enterprises with knowledge and skills in sustainable tourism such as sustainable waste and resource management.
“Then, we will curate immersive travel experiences for visitors through story telling, heritage walks and workshops while the final step is to promote it to the Western market.
“We can also leverage Sungai Pelek’s proximity to the airport and luxury resorts like Sepang Gold Coast to attract travellers who desire authentic new village experiences,” he added.
Khoo said sustainability in Malaysia often overlooked cultural and social pillars, focusing primarily on the environment.
“Tourism has a great power to keep heritage, customs and local identities alive through locals or tourists experiencing them.
“Previously, we helped the Pos Lanai Orang Asli community in Jeram curate eco-tourism packages including workshops of making keris, wau and traditional wood carving as well as cooking demonstrations.
“We managed to get about 60 tourists last year, up from zero visitors in 2024, with more than 100 forward bookings this year,” he said.
While the vision is for Sungai Pelek to become the first certified sustainable new village in Malaysia, Khoo said this presented challenges such as measuring and monitoring sustainable impact.
“Operators are not likely to be asked to measure carbon emissions but there are still ways to quantify these impacts through resource management.
“For example, reducing cooking gas for restaurant operations would still count as an operational cost saving and a measurable reduction in the business’ carbon footprint,” he said.
Khoo added that such measures were vital to certify tourism operators as sustainable businesses.
“This recognition would brand the new village as a sustainable tourist destination that can drive inbound tourism further to the small town.
“Hopefully, we can push Sungai Pelek New Village as the first certified sustainable new village in Malaysia,” he added. — By JAROD LIM
