Two remote areas of Sarawak to become tourist attractions

 

Federal tourism minister Nancy Shukri said training would be provided to local residents of Lusong Laku and Sungai Asap.

KUCHING: Two remote areas in central Sarawak which are about 1,100km (730 miles) from here are set to become new tourism attractions.

The two areas are Lusong Laku and Sungai Asap in the Belaga district of Kapit division.

Federal tourism minister Nancy Shukri said the ministry would help to train local residents how to market the attractive tourism products there, in cooperation with the state tourism ministry.

“These tourism products need people who know how to market them. And before being marketed many fundamental things must be carried out,” she said.

Nancy, who made a working visit to Lusong Laku recently, said the ministry had used the time during the pandemic to look for as many remote places as possible to be shared as potential tourist destinations.

Sarawak’s tourism minister, Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, said the state government would work hard to boost infrastructure facilities and connectivity in the area.

“It is indeed difficult to go to Belaga. It will take about nine hours by road from Kuching to Bintulu and about six hours from Bintulu to reach Belaga,” he said.

He said connectivity must be improved “because tourists now like to share the activities they do directly”.

Karim said the state government would also provide entrepreneurship training to the local residents so that they would have the required skills.

“From there, items such as the unique Kayan and Penan handicraft can be sold and can, to a certain extent, boost the economy of the local residents,” he said. - FMT