In The New Sabah Times 14 th April 2005
By WATI SAMSIAR

KOTA KINABALU: The state government wants to see more investors and tourism operators investing in ecotourism products of quality and value.

This will not only protect and conserve the environment but also generate employment and spin?offs and economic benefits, especially to the rural communities.

Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat said this in his speech at the launching of a book entitled Saving Paradise: The Story of 'Sukau Rainforest Lodge (SRL) here yesterday. The text of his speech was read by his deputy Datuk Karim Bujang.

Kah Kiat who is also Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister said the success of Sukau Rainforest Lodge (SRL), for instance should be emulated by tourism operators so that Sabah would be known internationally for its quality ecotourism products.

"A critical stage in the development of the industry today lies in the need to find ways to self regulate its members and help them to toe the line," he added.

Towards this end, he said the industry needed to cultivate the best practices, develop benchmarks and promote high standards of development and services.

He cited that the SRL was developed as a model ecolodge in line with the state government's ecotourism objectives with WWF partners for Wetlands Vision for Ecotourism Development in the Lower Kinabatangan Floodplains.

It adopted an integrated and proactive approach to encourage preservation of habitat and biodiversity and sustainable use of resources through education and creating awareness among visitors, staff and the local community on conservation.

"At the same time, through best practices, the lodge shows efforts to minimise consumption, waste and pollution, and ensuring that local communities also derive benefits from the development," Kah Kiat said.

Thus, he said the efforts and achievements, of SRL had helped the Kinabatangan .Region earn an international reputation as a premier ecotourism icon.

"I have no doubt that this publication will further enhance the Kinabatangan region as a world class ecotourism product," he said of the book.

The book records the 10 year history of SRL, its achievements and the many challenges it faces.

The book contains recipes and ingredients that will serve as a guide to any ecotourism operator, local and international who wishes to invest in such a businesses and run a sustainable operation.

According to Kah Kiat, the private sector has also been active in developing the area for tourism, and in the past decade more than six lodges have been developed along the Kinabatangan River accordingly to meet demands for wildlife and ecotourism products.

On another note, Kah Kiat urged all operators especially those who operate lodges and tours in fragile environment, not only in Kinabatangan region, to be sensitive to the needs of such environment and ecosystems.

"Our nature resources, within the protected areas or outside, are the very assets on which the tourism industry in Sabah directly or indirectly is based," he said.

"Therefore, tourism players can help nurture the sustainable growth of the industry by adhering to good and ethical practices, by simply avoiding selfish short-term economic gains, and non-sustainable activities at the expense of our nature-based touristic resources and the industry as a whole," Kah Kiat said.

KOTA KINABALU: Carol Patterson, coauthor of the book "Saving Paradise: The Story of Sukau Rainforest Lodge", believes the book will be of interest to those in the tourism industry or similar situation as the lodge's founder and her coauthor, Albert Teo.

I think this is because the story of Sukau Lodge is a good one and that it talks about how eco?tourism can help to show a community as well as how it can make money from sustainable sized tourism," Patterson said.

The proboscis monkeys and pygmy elephants are unique species and that gives Sukau an advantage over other communities that may not have that kind of diversity, she said after the book is launching yesterday.

"The reason I got involved and I like the book is because it talks about some of the lessons that Albert has learnt in its 10 years history," she said, adding that it also deals with successes and failures.

"It is not a perfect story (as) Sukau has a lot of challenges and there are still lots of things that have to be dealt with," Patterson pointed out.

"But it is no different from other communities which struggles with the same issues."

The book chronicles the story of Albert's work to build and operate Sukau Rainforest Lodge and it includes many of his photographs of the wildlife found in the area.

Patterson also included the lodge visitors' comments in the book as they inspired her, she said, adding: "I like to read the visitors' comments...to see how a visit to Kinabatangan changes a person and how enthusiastic they are even after a brief encounter of just two or three days. "

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister cum Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister, Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat said Sukau Rainforest Lodge was developed as a model eco?lodge in line with the State Government's ecotourism objectives and with WWF Partners for Wetlands Vision for Ecotourism objectives in the Lower Kinabatangan floodplains.

"It adopted an integrated and proactive approach to encourage the preservation of habitat and biodiversity and sustainable use of resources through education and creating awareness among visitors, staff and the local community on conservation," he said in a speech read by Assistant Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Datuk Karim Bujang.

At the same time, Chong said that through best practices, the lodge showed efforts to minimize consumption, waste and pollution as well as ensuring that local communities also derive benefits from the development.

The efforts and achievements of Sukau Rainforest Lodge have helped the Kinabatangan Region earn an international reputation as a premier ecotourism icon, he said, adding: "I have no doubt that this publication will further enhance the Kinabatangan Region as a world class ecotourism product."

Source : The Borneo Post 14th April 2005