Budget tourism - a hidden gold mine

Budget tourism – a hidden gold mine

by Chin Kee Leong
January 17, 2010, Sunday (The Borneo Post)


TO former Kiwi pilot, David Bennet, 48, budget tourism is big in Sarawak — a hidden gold mine, as he describes it. “Not many people realise it has great potential — only that at the moment, it’s disorganised, ignored and neglected,” he said.

Last year, he noted, budget tourists formed some 65 per cent of visitors to New Zealand where tourism has become the second top earner after the dairy industry.
However, he pointed out, contributions of budget tourists to Sarawak’s economy had often been under-rated.

The typical bigger spending ‘hotel tourists’ rarely stayed over three weeks while the budget tourists tended to stay longer, stretching their budget over a longer period, he added.

“In fact, many backpackers have extended their stay here to visit and explore more places,” said Bennet who helps his wife Pauline Maran, a Kelabit, run her budget tourist centre called The Highlands at the Water Front commercial centre in Miri.
He said by staying longer, the budget traveller got to enjoy a more fulfilling experience of being able to interact with more local people and then return home with more stories to tell their families and friends.

On the flipside, he added, a short or rigidly-scheduled packaged tour may not provide much for a memorable experience since it is more ‘rushed’ and perhaps, visitors on such a tour will also have other things to attend to such as a conference or business meeting.

What high-spending tourists experience may be superficial, being insulated from real contacts with the locals. There may not be much of a story or experience to tell back home, let alone promote Sarawak as a venue for corporate or official meetings.
“Sarawak has all the right attractions for budget tourists, mostly backpackers from western countries who prefer exploring on their own rather than following a rigidly-packaged tour,” Bennet explained.

He felt it was unfortunate backpackers were perceived as low-value tourists who did not generate much revenue when, in fact, they form the bulk of tourists in many countries today, bringing in more cash than the relatively fewer big spenders.
“The backpackers may be cost-conscious but they do spend quite a lot on necessities and this benefits the local economy.”

Bennet reasoned that what backpackers saved on costly accommodation and food, they would eventually spend on other things during their stay.

“What they want is a taste of Nature and adventure — not just the luxuries of hotels, restaurant food or shopping — which they can get in most cities anyway.”
While acknowledging that many local people preferred welcoming big-spending tourists who came in private jets or big tour packages, he felt, however, this was not a realistic expectation for the state’s tourism industry.

After all, if big spenders were interested in fancy hotels, restaurants, shopping, and entertainment, surely they could get them in many bigger cities that are traditional choice destinations offering more sophisticated attractions like Paris, London, New York, and Hong Kong, he said. Some of these places have huge theme parks and even casinos or racing clubs that offer gaming or gambling for high rollers.

Bennet felt Sarawak should gear its tourism industry on what it already had to offer, saying: “The state only needs to package its attractions and coordinate the promotion and marketing activities to woo more tourists rather than spend much money and effort trying to lure big spenders away from other well-established cities.”

Customers were like aircraft passengers and if well looked after, would keep coming back, and what passengers saved in cheap airfares offered by budget airlines, they would eventually spend when they arrived and started exploring a country, he added.

Travellers are now cutting back on expensive airfares, hotel accommodation and restaurant foods in a practical way to maximise their experience at a destination, more so now with the world still in the throes of a slow recovering economic downturn.

“I like to help tourists and villagers here. I consider myself helping to channel tourist dollars to others like the Penan guides in the interior,” he said.

Bennet has stayed in Malaysia for about 14 years, and as a pilot, flown 6,000 hours in the Twin Otter over 10 years, including some 500 flights to Bario. During those times, he has met many backpackers and tourists.

According to him, there has been a surge in budget tourism, particularly in the Bario Highlands, with improving accessibility.

“It’s easy to get around in Bario because the locals speak good English while in Mulu, tourists rarely get to see the awesome pinnacles because they are hard to scale,” he said.

Bennet said tourists won’t talk about a trip if it turned out to be a bad experience but would spread the word if it was memorable.

Customers to Bennet’s backpackers’ lodge, located above the Wheels café in Miri can expect clean beds, rooms and showers, use of the kitchen, washing machines and internet facilities — all at a modest and flat rate of about RM25 per person.

“Tourists have complained that the popular Mulu itinerary is too commercialised and restrictive — high prices are charged for every little thing like side-tracking,” he revealed.

KEEPING IN TOUCH: The lodge provides internet facilities for backpackers.

The budget tourists, he added, enjoyed flexibility in their itineraries and would love to side-track occasionally rather than be shepherded with rigid schedules and routes.

He also suggested “linking up Mulu and Bario — two great tourist destinations — with direct connecting flights as this will be most convenient.”

“There is a shortage of flights to Bario — as a pilot, I have seen many local folks lining up everyday trying to catch a flight.”

The lack of connecting flights in the Bario Highlands, he pointed out, had caused many frustrated backpackers to bypass it in favour of places like Kota Kinabalu in Sabah.

After all, after spending so much money and still finding the visit unpleasant, they might view it as a rip-off and would not recommend Sarawak to other visitors.

Promotion through word of mouth has been known to be very effective, especially with increasing use of blogs and social networking websites in which even ordinary folks can write about their travels.

Every tourist should be treated as an asset and potential ambassador — whether big spenders or budget travellers.

On a one-to-one basis, the big spenders may seem very attractive customers but if they are only a handful, their overall contribution to the local economy becomes negligible.

While not every tourist will help promote Sarawak, chances of the many more budget tourists spreading the word of their pleasant experiences and stories in the state are conceivably greater than the relatively fewer big spenders more preoccupied with other agendas.

A thumbs-up from a satisfied and happy tourist may translate into free and effective promotion for Sarawak, regardless of budget. After all, Sarawak is much better known as the Land of Hornbills, and few countries can compare with its unique heritage.

Tourists do not come to Sarawak for its mega shopping malls, large hotels, fancy restaurants, entertainment centres or first class public transportation and infrastructure that they have already covered in many other destinations around the world.

Even if the big spenders were to land here, they may still have to backpack to see and enjoy the state’s greatest treasures — majestic caves, rivers, tropical rainforests and enchanting highlands.

It is the development of these off-the-road destinations like comfortable lodges, homestays, markets and eating places that should be getting the right attention.
This will, in turn, help spread the benefits of tourism to more regions of the state, instead of being concentrated only in a few cities.

Currently, Sarawak’s natural heritage is already attracting quite a number of budget tourists whose contributions to the industry and the local economy should not be taken for granted.

Instead of worrying about how deep the tourists’ pockets are, the industry should try to make the tourists’ stay as pleasant and memorable as possible, bearing in mind that a bird in hand is worth two in the bush.

Dept wants more rural women participation

http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=3011

Dept wants more rural women participation

Posted on January 6, 2010, Wednesday

KUCHING: The state Agriculture Department is expecting a total of 6,982 women from the rural areas to participate in its activities throughout this year.

Modernisation of Agriculture Assistant Minister Datin Fatimah Abdullah said it was the department’s main objective to see more women entrepreneurs, and to rebrand the women entrepreneur section (Weda).

She said the department had the potential to eliminate poverty among rural people, improve the economic status of women as small and medium entrepreneurs, and develop local products.

“This is in line with the federal government’s call for local entrepreneurs to bring in an income of over RM250,000 per annum,” she said at a press conference yesterday.

Fatimah, who is also Social Development and Urbanisation (Women Development) Assistant Minister, added that last year, 65 per cent of 421 entrepreneurs were women living in rural areas of Sarawak.

She expressed her hope that the numbers would continue to increase.

“Weda will help market the products from local entrepreneurs after it has been branded and packaged according to standard,” she said.

She announced her decision to set up two more product distribution centres in Mukah and Miri this year to achieve the standard quality.

“We want to develop local and agro-based products in rural areas,” Fatimah said.

The products that Weda wanted to develop on a larger scale include rice-based products in Sri Aman, Lingga and Stumbin, ‘dabai’ in Sibu, Bario salt in Miri, ‘ikan tahai’ in Limbang, ‘sesar unjur’ in Sarikei, ‘pua kumbu’ in Kapit, coconut in Samarahan, ‘gula apong’ in Betong and Kabong.

According to her, Weda was also setting up an Entrepreneur Skills Development Training Centre, scheduled to complete in April this year.

She said the centre is located at Semenggok Agricultural Centre, and equipped with freezing and bread making equipment.

“The state and federal government have allocated RM1.6 mil and RM3.6 mil, respectively to the state Agriculture Department to run various activities this year,” she stressed.

The department was also working with Amanah Ikthiar Malaysia (AIM) to assist rural entrepreneurs in terms of securing loans, she said, adding that the government will do its best to eradicate poverty in the state.

Agricultural Department director Paul Vincent Ritom was among those present.

Own pre-school model a must

http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=2664

Own pre-school model a must

by Chai Shin Yi.

Posted on January 5, 2010, Tuesday

Fatimah says ‘one kindy one primary school’ impractical in S’wak where schools are hours away

KOTA SAMARAHAN: The state’s geography requires it to have a different implementation approach from that used by the federal government when it comes to encouraging early childhood education.

Expressing her concern over the Education Ministry’s plan to establish one kindergarten class in each primary school this year, Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department (Human Resource and Training) Datin Fatimah Abdullah said the move may not be practical for rural areas.

“Our situation in Sarawak is different compared to West Malaysia. We cannot use conventional methods and adapt them in the state. We need to find our own model for rural areas,” she said.

Fatimah who is also chairperson of the Sarawak Children Early Development Council (MPAKS) was visiting Pusat Anak Permata Negara (PAPN) here yesterday with 21 other members of the council on the first day of school.

Fatimah explained that in some remote areas, young children had to travel for hours to attend primary school daily.

As a result of that, students had to stay in boarding schools instead.

However, she pointed out that children below the age of seven are not allowed to stay in boarding schools as they are too young.

“So if you follow this approach by the Education Ministry, it doesn’t solve our problems in Sarawak. We at MPAKS want to have our own model so that young children don’t need to be separated from their families at such tender age,” she added.

“My idea is that each longhouse set up its own pre-school group so that children can be exposed to an environment conducive to learning. I have seen it done in the longhouses in Bario and I am impressed,” she suggested.

“Of course there are a lot of aspects to look into so we will need to study this possibility. We must know what the situation is first in terms of logistics and funding. MPAKS will gather the necessary information and data and make a proposal by March,” she said.

According to her, MPAKS takes cognizance of the fact that early childhood education is important to the development of a child, thus aims to give as much education opportunity as possible to the children so that the state would be able to produce quality human capital. Fatimah also told reporters that a total of 22 Taska Permata under the Community Development Department and the Chief Minister’s Department throughout the state had been allocated funds to upgrade and improve their physical infrastructure, teaching materials and toys.

“There are a few taska in rural areas that do not even have electricity or water supply. Part of the budget allocated for the upgrading is to supply the necessary utilities for the taska’s operations,” she said.

Breaking the Burial Jars

http://www.karencoates.com/Stories/ForestOfUrns.html

Breaking the Burial Jars

(A version of this article was translated into Spanish and ran in GEO Spain)

By Karen J. Coates

Walter Paran was a lucky boy. Three minutes out his front door lay an old grave in the forest marked by big stone slabs, a broken jar, and human bones. A few minutes another way was a pit where the riches of the dead were purportedly buried. What more could an inquisitive kid want?

Back then, in the 1970s, Walter didn’t know much about archaeology. He had heard that the burial site, Batu Ritong, held the remains of a prominent ancestor. He and his friends explored the forest around the stone-slab enclosures cautiously. “We were afraid when we came here.” Superstition mixed with curiosity.

Walter grew up in the Kelabit Highlands of Malaysia’s Sarawak state. For centuries, the Kelabit people have lived deep in Borneo’s upland jungles, having practiced animism and headhunting until missionaries converted them to Christianity after World War II. Before that, the Kelabits erected megalithic monuments such as Batu Ritong, where ancestral remains were buried in large ceramic jars. They also erected separate memorials where the belongings of the deceased were buried. Walter takes us to such a place on the other side of his village. It consists of a couple of big stone slabs propped on boulders, covering dozens of small stones, and an ancestor’s belongings in the ground. Villagers do not dig up the valuables, Walter says, “otherwise your life is not nice.”

Walter worries about these sites. Much of the Kelabit Highlands is slated for logging, and Walter fears Kelabit relics and features will perish by axe and bulldozer before archaeologists can study them.

“As yet, no proper archaeological work has been done in the Kelabit Highlands,” says Monica Janowski, a University of Greenwich, England, anthropologist. She is part of a research project that will map and investigate highlands archaeology and trace the relationship between people and environment through time.

“The forest is part and parcel of that heritage, lived in and altered by humans at least 50,000 years ago,” says the project’s principal investigator, Professor Graeme Barker of the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge, England. “We need to designate a series of ‘archaeological landscapes’ and protect them.”

Logging poses a direct threat. That’s why many Kelabits hope for an extension of the recently established Pulong Tau National Park, to encompass nearly 400,000 acres and the archaeology within. Pulong Tau, now about 150,000 acres, is part of a conservation project straddling the border between Sarawak and Indonesia’s Kalimantan province. The International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), an intergovernmental organization promoting sustainable forest practices and conservation, endorses the project and has collaborated with local people to survey highland cultural sites. The project documented 88 sites, including 42 megaliths of varying types.

But Kelabit archaeology encompasses far more than monuments, “because the landscape is also a cultural and historical artifact,” Barker explains. His team’s preliminary survey in the southern highlands found a range of archaeological sites beyond megaliths and burials.

Walter knows his tribe’s archaeology is fading fast. Jar burials and funerary celebrations have ceased since Christianity’s introduction, and artifacts have deteriorated with time and neglect. Take Batu Ritong: Mosses grow through the tiny human bone fragments, and jar shards lay helter-skelter among sticks, stones and weeds. About three miles from there, a dozen imported Chinese jars sit in the tangled forest, some buried, some broken, many embossed with common Asian dragon designs. Our guide, Sylvester Kalang Talan Pitan, says people rarely come here. He knows little about the jars. “Even the old men don’t know how old these are.”

But Uun, Walter’s elderly father, recalls stories of old burial ceremonies. “When a father passed away, we would put his remains in the jar to show our love,” he says. “In the olden days, the jars were very expensive.” There were three styles: jars with dragon designs (the oldest type, which sold for 20 buffaloes), jars with flowers and jars with crocodiles, both of which were much cheaper. They were bought from a faraway town called Lawas. “If we carried these heavy things here, it took two weeks. Two weeks plus.”

Uun sits cross-legged on Walter’s floor, wearing a Metallica hat, which he bought on the coast. He talks of the headhunting years. Uun grew up with human heads hanging from the longhouse rafters. “It was just normal.” Once, he says, a marauding tribe attacked his grandfather’s village and the people escaped to a jar burial site in the jungle. They camped at that site for months, unable to work their fields. They grew hungry. Eventually, they sacrificed one villager to the enemy as payment for safe passage to their homes and paddies.

As Sylvester treks through the forest, he points to megaliths marked by yellow ITTO signs. Some sites have no fences. One is circled by a rudimentary barrier that might deter a buffalo – but not a bulldozer. Like other Kelabits, Sylvester worries about the future. From time immemorial, feet were the only mode of transportation around the area. Airplanes came with WWII, opening the highlands to those with money and the inclination. Now, a growing spiderweb of logging roads fans across the landscape, creeping closer to the Kelabits. “It’s disgusting,” says a pilot who flies the area. “No one can stop them.”

Janowski warns that even a national park extension would not guarantee the survival of Kelabit relics. “I am not sure how much the logging companies will respect the sites.”

Dr. Paul Chai of the ITTO Biodiversity Conservation Project says ITTO is not involved in timber licensing. “But we have sent survey information and maps to the contractors to request them to keep out of the sites.” Locals also must ask the Sarawak Museum to protect the area, he says.

Walter seems harried when pointing to the mountains beyond his village. The logging trucks are there, just over the hill. Sometimes the wind carries the sound of their grinding engines. He invites us to explore more burial sites and megaliths up there — soon.

“I hope that you come before the logging enters this side.”

Bario rice gets GI certification

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/12/1/nation/5213332&sec=nation

Tuesday December 1, 2009

Bario rice gets GI certification

KUCHING: Sarawak’s Bario rice, grown in the Kelabit Highlands, is now recognised and protected as a brand name unique to the state.

Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan said Bario rice was granted geographical indication (GI) certification by the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia in March.

This meant that the “Bario rice” brand name was protected and could not be used for similar rice planted outside Sarawak, he said.

(GI protection applies to products which originate from specific geographical locations and possess consistent quality, authenticity and reputation.)

With the certification, Dr Chan said Bario rice could be marketed as a niche product grown only in the high altitude and cool, natural environment of the Kelabit Highlands.

“We are also trying to go organic with it. Bario rice can go organic easily because it is naturally farmed with no machinery and very little insecticide or fertiliser,” he told a press conference yesterday.

Dr Chan said several farmers had already started the organic planting of Bario rice with the first harvest expected early next year.

Protecting state's rice brand names

http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=598

Protecting state’s rice brand names

by Lim How Pim. Posted on December 1, 2009, Tuesday

KUCHING: Sarawak’s ‘Beras Bajong’ and ‘Beras Biris’ are expected to receive the Geographical Indications (GI) Certificate of Registration from the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO) in April next year.

QUALITY ASSURED: Director of Agriculture Department Paul Vincent (second right) presents the Geographical Indications (GI) Certificate of Registration for ‘Bario Rice’ to Dr Chan as others look on.

With the certification, the brand names of local rice, like ‘Bario Rice’, will be protected and therefore cannot be used on similar rice grown outside the state.

‘Bario Rice’ is among the first six products granted the GI certification across the country in April this year.

The other products are Sarawak Pepper, Sabah Tea, Tenom Coffee, Borneo Virgin Coconut Oil and Sabah Seaweed.

Recently, ‘Buah Limau Bali’ was added to the list.

‘Beras Bajong’ is a fragrant rice variety planted by the traditional rice farmers of Lubok Nibong in Betong.

It is a traditional tall variety that is photoperiod sensitive and only a single crop can be planted in a year.

‘Beras Biris’ originates from the rice farms of Simunjan in Samarahan Division.

It is a fragrant traditional rice variety and was known as ‘Beras Wangi Simunjan’ in view of its strong aroma.

Speaking at a press conference here yesterday, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan said GI protection would provide entrepreneurs and consumers the assurance of authenticity and consistent product quality.

‘Beras Bajong’ and ‘Beras Biris’ were two very promising rice varieties, he said, adding that the Department of Agriculture would concentrate on certification of rice and later expand to vegetables and fruits.

Dr Chan, who is Modernisation of Agriculture Minister, pointed out that GI protection would boost the country’s image and the location’s visibility via ‘GI tourism’ such as promoting GI location as a tourist destination.

“GI protection will add value to products and effectively increase farmers’ income and inadvertently create greater demands for our exotic rice varieties at home and abroad,” he said.

He thus asserted that farmers in the state had to be well trained to not only maintain product quality, but also to increase production of various products.

For the time being, he said export of ‘Bario Rice’ was still at the planning stage, adding that the authorities would go all out to integrate the existing facilities and personnel (farmers) to hike up production to meet the demand.

“After we have integrated our farmers and other things, then we will talk about export. At the moment, there is no volume of production and we do not have enough to sell,” he added.

He was, however, confident that the state would be able to double the production of ‘Bario Rice’ following enhanced planting techniques and irrigation system.

To date, the state produces 480 metric tonnes of ‘Bario Rice’ per annum.

Originating from the Kelabit Highlands, ‘Bario Rice’ is known for its soft and slightly sticky texture, fine grains and gastronomical experience.

It is sold for RM10 per kg.

Dr Chan said there was a plan to turn ‘Bario Rice’ into an organic product.

While assuring that the certification would not cause any hike in the price of the product, he said the price would be reviewed once it became an organic product.

‘Bario Rice’ is famous for its excellent taste and texture. It is unique for it is homegrown, hand selected and harvested to ensure its excellent taste and quality.

It has also earned a name and is regarded as one of the finest rice grains in the world.

Extent of damage to ecosystem can be seen from northern to central parts of Sarawak

http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2009/10/26/southneast/4940507&sec=southneast

Monday October 26, 2009

Extent of damage to ecosystem can be seen from northern to central parts of Sarawak

By STEPHEN THEN

MIRI: The Auditor-General’s report detailing poor forest-management in Sarawak is certainly an eye-opener, but the report has merely scraped the surface of the actual extent of the massive environmental damage that overlogging and oil-palm projects have caused in rural Sarawak.

The extent of damage to the ecosystem can be seen from northern Sarawak all the way to the central parts of the state, and it is not only the non-governmental bodies that are up in arms over these woes, but also village community leaders, members of Parliament and state assemblymen from Barisan Nasional.

The Star had during various trips into the remote areas also found rivers, hills, valley basins and mountain slopes being badly affected by blatant land clearing, timber extraction and construction of logging trails.

Many rivers have become so polluted by mud debris from logging activities that they are no longer fit for use for cooking and drinking.

Rivers running through oil-palm estates have been poisoned by pesticides and palm oil effluents while erosion and siltation have resulted in constant floods that threatened tens of thousands of people.

Not safe: A tributary of the Linau River in central Sarawak that has been ravaged by logging. The water is undrinkable due to mud erosion and the river is clogged by timber debris, making boat rides dangerous. Many other rivers in Sarawak face similar problems due to excessive logging and oil palm projects.

The latest Auditor-General’s report named Sarawak, Pahang, Johor and Kelantan as the states that had fared badly in terms of forest management and enforcement of environmental laws.

The report said that these states are suffering serious degradation to their forests and environment that had caused severe increase in erosion, river degradation, landslides, destruction of flora and fauna and depletion of animal habitats.

The report also said that due to the lack of enforcement by the forest authorities, illegal logging had even been found in national parks and forests reserves.

Though the report did not mention specific areas in these states that are ravaged by environmental woes, The Star found many such places in Sarawak.

In the Lambir constituency south of Miri, rivers are so badly polluted by land clearing and oil-palm projects, riverine villagers have sounded alarm bells.

These woes were also brought up for discussion among political leaders during a meeting here.

State assemblyman Aidan Wing said villagers had complained that effluent from oil-palm estates was being dumped into nearby rivers.

“We (villagers) cannot rely on the rivers for drinking and cooking anymore because the water has been too seriously contaminated.

“The rivers were the main source of water for thousands of people. Now, these rivers are no longer safe. The villages need piped water supply from the water treatment plant.

“During the drought, thousands of people had to seek help from the Public Works Department to transport fresh water,” he said.

Wing appealed to State Public Utilities Minister Datuk Seri Awang Tengah Ali Hassan to seek funds to connect every longhouse and riverine settlements to the JKR Water Treatment plant in Lambir.

In the northern interior of Baram, its MP Datuk Jacob Dungau Sagan had also lamented the extent of erosion along the mighty Baram River caused by logging.

“More than 25,000 people living along the river and its tributaries are affected by floods because of the erosion.

“They may have to be relocated to safer grounds,” he said.

In Kapit, Ulu Rejang MP Datuk Billy Abit Joo said the once-beautiful rivers that run through his constituency have become rivers of mud because of the logging operations.

Lusong Laku Penan chief Tinggan Jati complained that the amount of sand and mud in the river had rendered these sources of water unfit for even washing.

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) field officer for Sarawak, Jok Jau Evong, called on the Sarawak Forestry Corporation to be more efficient in stopping illegal logging and abuse of wildlife.

He said SAM had received complaints from natives living in the Mulu National Park that illegal logging was happening along the borders of this World Heritage Site.

Jok urged the state government to take a serious view of the AG’s report and take appropriate actions to remedy the problems cited in the report.