KOTA KINABALU: Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai has called for a structured effort to fully harness Sabah’s potential as a camping and outdoor activities destination.
He said the Sabah Camping and Caravan Association should lead the initiative by leveraging its membership in the World Camping Federation and working closely with rural tourism operators.
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Joniston said he was informed that the Sabah Camping and Caravan Association, in collaboration with community-based tourism (CoBT), had identified more than 200 sites across Sabah suitable for development as camping grounds.
He, who is also Chairman of the Sabah Tourism Board (STB), said Sabah’s emergence as a CoBT hub was driven by active local community participation in developing tourism attractions throughout the state.
He said growing community involvement in every district, through both small- and large-scale initiatives, had strengthened and enriched rural tourism offerings.
In the context of Visit Malaysia 2026 and Visit Sabah 2027, he said more new tourism products were needed to attract visitors and enhance their experience.
Joniston said this when officiating the Tampasak Eco-Camp and Tagal Sondoton–Poimbolutan in Kampung Tampasak and Kampung Babagon on Sunday, adding that STB views CoBT as a key component of state tourism development and provides monitoring, training and upskilling support to ensure sustainable growth.
