Building local capacities towards sustaining Community Based Tourism Development (CBET): experience from Miso Walai Homestay, Kinabatangan Sabah, Malaysia

Abstract

Tourism has become one of the world's most important sources of employment. It stimulates enormous investment in infrastructure, most of which also helps to improve the living conditions of local people. It provides governments with substantial tax revenues. Most new tourism jobs and businesses are created in developing countries, helping to equalize economic opportunities and keep rural residents from moving to overcrowded cities. Unsurprisingly, many developing countries have recognized tourism as a catalyst for social economic development particularly in the suburban area. In Malaysia, homestay program is realized by government as a catalyst for rural community development and has been actively promoted by Ministry of Tourism as an alternative form of tourism since 1995. Due to the potential of homestay program to provide additional income and employment, the number of homestay providers in Malaysia is increasing. In 2009, there were 140 homestays with 3,264 participants. Homestay program has been given special emphasis by the Ministry of Tourism, and under the 9th Malaysia Plan, a total of RM40 million has been allocated to the ministry for upgrading infrastructure and facilities in participating villages. On top of that, the program was given an additional boost of RM10 million under the Second Stimulus Package. In addition, the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development spent RM 6.7 million in 2008 for infrastructure development related to rural tourism project. However, most of the failure of tourism projects at the community level is due to the lack of attention given on community capacity building to empower the local communities in the tourism development. Thus, this study is to explore the process of community capacity building for tourism development in Miso Walai Homestay, District of Batu Puteh, Kinabatangan Sabah. By employing a case study as a strategy of research, a deep understanding of the process and phenomenon can be obtained .The findings of research reveal that the process of capacity building exist even before the project starts. With the support of NGO, process of community capacity building started in 1997-2000 with bottom up approach. Starting with non business community organization known as MESCOT (Model Ecological Sustainable Community Tourism), it has evolved to the establishment of community business entity-Koperasi Pelancongan Batu Putih Berhad-KOPEL (Tourism Co-operative) in 2003.