KOTA KINABALU: Sustainable tourism is possible with consistent enforcement and initiatives to enhance awareness, according to the Sabah Tourism Board (STB).
Its chairman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai said many regulations were already in place to protect the environment.
He said the protection, management and regulation of “sensitive” areas like Kinabalu Park and Sipadan were under relevant authorities such as Sabah Parks, which continuously assessed the environmental impact.
From STB’s perspective, he said conservation and tourism must go hand-in-hand.
“We fully support measures that protect these valuable natural assets because it is the very foundation of Sabah’s tourism appeal,” said Bangkuai.
He said visitor management was important in sensitive areas, and the practice was already being implemented by the Sabah Parks and Forestry Department, which manages conservation areas like Danum Valley, Maliau Basin and Imbak Canyon.
Controls, including on permits and regulated access, were part of how fragile ecosystems are managed to ensure protection while maintaining a quality visitor experience and sustainable tourism flow, he pointed out.
Bangkuai said conservation or entrance fees were also in place in several protected areas to fund conservation work, site maintenance and long-term protection of these natural assets when managed by the relevant authorities.
“For STB, we support any mechanism for tourism to contribute back to environmental sustainability.
“Our role is to continue promoting these destinations responsibly as part of Sabah’s sustainable tourism offering,” he said.
