KOTA KINABALU: Rural tourism operators in Sabah want the Federal Government to extend assistance to them as they too have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

       Federal of Rural Tourism Association Sabah (Fertas) president Walter Kandayon said they welcomed a previous RM85mil financial aid for tourism operators.

       “However, Fertas is quite surprised the special aid was only meant for tourism operators registered with the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry (Motac),” he said in a statement here on Satur-day.

       “Rural tourism operators desperately need assistance, since they have not able to operate fully for more than two years.”

       More than 20,000 tourism operators were given the chance to apply from the RM85mil financial aid from Motac from Feb 28 to March 15.

       Motac subsequently allowed operators who missed the initial deadline to make fresh applications from April 4 to 15.

       Kandayon said Fertas recently paid a courtesy visit to Motac Kota Kinabalu director Ibrahim Othman who shared the former’s sentiments that the rural tourism industry played a vital role in Sabah.