KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is positioning itself as a high-quality rural tourism destination with the Walai Penyu Conservation Park winning the Asean Sustainable Tourism Standard Award (Asta) 2022.
State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin said this was the second award to be won by Sabah's rural tourism operators after Kadamaian Tourism Association's ASEAN Community Based Tourism Award in 2019.
Jafry said such prestige accreditation had positioned Sabah as a high-quality rural destination in southeast Asia.
"The state is committed to achieving its goal of making Sabah a world-class rural tourism destination by 2025," he said.
"I commend the Walai Penyu Conservation Park for demonstrating how tourism can be managed sustainably and effectively in order to protect sea turtles," he added on Wednesday (March 9).
The Asta is a prestigious recognition supporting the implementation of Asean's Tourism Strategic Plan 2016-2025.
Walai Penyu Conservation Park managing director Alexander Yee received the award at the Tourism, Art, and Culture Ministry (Motac) in Kuala Lumpur on Monday (March 7).
Yee said that the award was an honour as it was a reflection of the genuine involvement of the local fishing community in turtle conservation that benefited the people through the homestay that drew foreign and local tourists.
He said local villagers were employed while the community earned additional income from sales of handicrafts and even coconuts tourists coming to see turtle landing between July and November.
Yee, who is also part of the Friends of Sea Turtles Education and Research (Foster), was accompanied by Kampung Libaran village chief Sarief Nasidif and Honorary Wildlife warden Sardi Baral at the national-level presentation ceremony.
Walai Penyu is located on Libaran Island, a 45min speed boat ride from Sandakan and has been a turtle sanctuary since 2010.
Its establishment has increased awareness among the Libaran fishing community and encouraged them to engage in turtle conservation initiatives.