Looking to the future: Bangkuai with participants of the Holistic Service Experience Programme in Kiulu.
KOTA KINABALU: Youth should tap into the business and employment opportunities offered by rural tourism in the state, says the Sabah Tourism Board (STB).
Its chairman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai said that continued involvement in tourism would ensure long-term prosperity for rural areas and their communities.
Citing Kiulu in Tuaran district near here as an example, he said 400 full-time and part-time jobs were created with the opening of more than 80 tourism-related businesses in the area.
Bangkuai said this at the closing of the Holistic Service Experience Programme at the Riverbug Base Camp and The Adventure Centre in Kiulu yesterday.
The event, organised by the North Borneo University College (NBUC), aimed to equip students with essential practical skills and the leadership needed for the hospitality industry.
Also present was NBUC vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Azimuddin Bahari.
“Make full use of the knowledge on tourism and hospitality you have acquired in your studies by venturing into the tourism,” said Bangkuai, who is also state Assistant Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment.
He said Kiulu was fast becoming a popular destination for both tourists and international students, particularly for summer camps.
He also encouraged local educational institutions and students to consider Kiulu for team-building and personal development activities.
Bangkuai added that such programmes would provide valuable academic and hands-on experiences while exposing students to Sabah’s growing tourism sector.
