Joniston together with Kiulu tourism players at the launching of rural tourism data collection application pilot project.
KIULU: Kiulu subdistrict has been selected to implement a pilot project for digital tourism data collection aimed at strengthening efforts to record tourist arrivals in rural areas of Sabah.
Assistant Tourism, Culture, and Environment Minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai said this initiative is a vital step towards enhancing the methods of collecting, analysing, and utilising tourism data more effectively.
“Accurate data collection is essential to understanding the true state of the rural and community-based tourism industry and formulating appropriate strategies.
“The success of this pilot project in Kiulu will pave the way for expansion to other districts in Sabah and eventually throughout Malaysia,” he said during the launch of the rural tourism data collection application at the Kiulu Tourism Information Center here, on Monday.
Joniston, who chairs the Sabah Tourism Board (STB), said the project aligns with the government’s efforts to integrate technology within the rural tourism sector to ensure more comprehensive recording of tourist arrivals.
According to him, the latest data collected by STB from January to November 2024 shows that 85 community-based tourism operators from 18 districts have submitted their data.
Records indicate that only 269,154 visitors were recorded visiting community-based tourism products up until November 2024, generating estimated revenue exceeding RM6.5 million.
However, Joniston noted that this figure could be higher as there are still areas that lack a comprehensive data collection system.
“This data digitalisation project not only addresses the issue of insufficient accurate data but also helps us identify areas that need attention and investment to further develop the rural tourism industry.
“It also enables the Sabah Tourism Board to better understand tourist patterns and improve promotional strategies and future planning,” he said.
The project is a strategic collaboration between STB and the Kiulu Tourism Association, with the data collection application developed by Datablu.
Kiulu was chosen for this initiative as it was made a pilot project for rural and community-based tourism development in 2014 alongside Kadamaian.
During the briefing, Datablu Director Dharmik Sheth noted that to the best of his knowledge, this is believed to be the first application focusing specifically on rural tourism data collection.
“Kiulu, or Sabah in general, could serve as a model for others to follow in terms of rural tourism development through effective data collection and management,” he said.
This application was designed to assist tourism operators in managing their activities more professionally through features such as automated e-receipt generation and more systematic activity management, among others.
Also present were Sabah Tourism Board Chief Executive Officer, Julinus Jeffery Jimit; and Kiulu Tourism Association President, Mejin Maginggow.
