KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Tourism Board (STB) is stepping up efforts to equip rural community-based tourism operators with the skills and knowledge needed to elevate the quality of tourism products across the state.
Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister and STB chairman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai said such initiatives are crucial in meeting the expectations of increasingly discerning visitors.
“Upskilling programmes is essential to ensure rural tourism operators are able to provide high-quality facilities and services,” he said during a session with participants of the Asean community-based tourism standards training held here recently.
The programme, held from Jan 21 to 22, brought together representatives from 13 community- based tourism operators across nine districts.
This marked the first round of training for 2026, with more sessions planned to further strengthen capacity among operators.
Organised by STB’s product division and supported by the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry, the programme aimed to guide participants in applying Asean standards in their day-to-day operations.
Joniston said the training aligns with Sabah’s rural tourism development agenda and Visit Sabah initiatives.
“Programmes like this prepare our operators to implement recognised standards by enhancing quality, sustainability and community participation, while supporting Sabah’s goal of becoming a competitive and recognised tourism destination,” he added.
STB is targeting at least 80% of community-based tourism operators in Sabah to meet Asean benchmarks by 2030, underscoring its commitment to quality, sustainability and meaningful community impact.
The value of such training was evident in a similar programme conducted in 2023, which involved 22 participants from 18 operators across six districts.
Following that programme, five operators from Kiulu, Tuaran, Kadamaian and Kota Belud were nominated and later awarded the National-Level Asean Community-Based Tourism Standard for the 2025-2027 period.
