S’wak homestay operators record income of nearly RM5 million from January to September 2024

KUCHING (Nov 15): Homestay operators in Sarawak recorded a total income of RM4,951,504.25 for the first nine months of this year, said Datuk Snowdan Lawan.

The Deputy Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts said during that period the operators had 41,168 guests.

“There are 57 homestay clusters with 746 operators and two Kampungstay clusters with three operators in Sarawak that have been registered with Motac (federal Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture).

“The total number of registered homestay rooms is 1,587, along with 30 rooms for Kampungstay,” he said during the question-and-answer session at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) today.

To ensure homestay operators and local communities provide excellent service to their visitors, Snowdan said his ministry has implemented various community development programmes to continually enhance their capacity and management skills.

These include courses in Basic Hospitality Training, Marketing and Digital Marketing, Product Packages Training, Event Management, Craft-Making Workshops, as well as Safety and Life-Saving Skills Training.

In addition, the Sarawak Craft Council (SCC) organises capacity-building programmes for craft artisans, focusing on digital marketing and the preservation of traditional craftsmanship.

“These interventions aim to improve product quality, diversify offerings, and enhance adaptability to market demand,” he said.

He pointed out that the federal Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (Motac) has approved an allocation of RM2.11 million for 15 projects to enhance public facilities within homestay clusters nationwide under the 12th Malaysia Plan.

“Motac is committed to strengthening the rural economy, particularly through the Program Pengalaman Homestay Malaysia. To support this, Motac has approved development funds to upgrade public facilities for homestays,” he said.

Snowdan was responding to Datuk Dennis Ngau (GPS-Telang Usan), who had asked about policies and budget allocation supporting rural communities engaged in community-based tourism and homestay operations, as well as the latest statistics on homestay clusters, visitors, and revenue collected to date.