LocationsSabah and UNDP launch inaugural Community-Based Tourism Conference, a tool to uplift community, protect nature
June 28, 2025
28 June 2025, Kota Kinabalu, SABAH – Amidst growing global interest in community-based tourism, Malaysia is seeking to strengthen this sector, leveraging its momentum to preserve local culture and natural heritage whilst delivering benefits to local communities. This was the ambition at the heart of the inaugural Community-Based Tourism Conference and Expo 2025 being held at Kota Kinabalu from 28-29 June 2025.
Organised by Sabah Tourism Board (STB) in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), this year marks a significant milestone as the Community-Based Tourism Expo, which has been held over the past seven years in Sabah, will for the first time feature a full conference component.
Another first for the event is the broad exhibition participation from both East (Sabah and Sarawak) and West (Peninsula) Malaysia, bringing together diverse community tourism associations, NGOs, and enterprises across the nation under one roof to showcase their initiatives and innovations to a wider audience.
Community-Based Tourism (CBT) is a form of sustainable tourism that is owned, managed, and driven by local communities. It allows visitors to experience local culture and ecosystems in a way that directly benefits the host communities — socially, economically, and environmentally.
Community-Based Tourism (CBT) allows visitors to experience local culture and ecosystems in a way that directly benefits the host communities — socially, economically, and environmentally.
"Understanding local needs and resources is key to ensuring that community-based tourism initiatives benefit communities effectively," says Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, Chairman of Sabah Tourism Board. "This conference will serve as a platform to further promote knowledge exchange among community-based tourism practitioners, inspire local communities, and introduce global best practices that can be adapted,” he continued.
“Since 2021, UNDP has worked with the Government of Malaysia to enhance the capacity of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and incorporate community-led initiatives to enhance the resilience of the domestic tourism industry. Building on this foundation, our expanded focus on CBT aims to connect communities to proven models from across the region, with the vision of advancing inclusive and sustainable tourism nationwide,” said Edward Vrkić, Resident Representative of UNDP Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei Darussalam.
Norhafiza Shafie, Programme Analyst for Sustainable Tourism at UNDP Malaysia during her panel session, added, “The hallmark of success is the co-creation of design; co-designing requires active listening of what the community wants. As we are heading into an ageing nation future, engaging youths in designing CBT is also crucial. Secondly, when talking about partnership, CBT has a shared prosperity or resource pulling element that can be very successful when implemented right.”
Norhafiza Shafie (bottom left), Programme Analyst for Sustainable Tourism from UNDP in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam, at a panel session at the Sabah Community Based Tourism
Dr Wanvipa Phanumat, Chief Operating Officer, Look Alike, shared “The offering doesn’t have to be a full CBT experience; some community offer only food, some only product, some only homestay — because every community is at different stages of readiness. The important thing is community ownership, because we don’t want to think for you. Continuous learning is also important, we have to relearn and upskill; for example: leveraging the wellness trend: how we can deliver a standard of service within the local context.”
With several success stories and key experts from across the region attending the conference, including from Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan (Province of China), and Indonesia, the knowledge-sharing and networking sessions aim to strengthen local initiatives and illustrate best practices to develop the CBT sector in the country. The Habitat Foundation, a key partner of the event, will also conduct a focus group discussion and facilitate networking opportunities.
Other highlights include a keynote presentation by Mr. Rohizam Md Yusoff of Malaysia Productivity Corporation, who will speak on CBT as a pillar for national growth. Ms. Maulita Sari Hani of the Asian Ecotourism Network will further shed light on the long-term resilience enabled by CBT, addressing how challenges like high initial costs can be mitigated through strategic partnerships and policies, benefiting both businesses and communities.
As Malaysia prepares for Visit Malaysia Year 2026, the need to develop and enhance tourism products, particularly through CBT, has become increasingly urgent. Many local tourism offerings are still in the early stages of development, requiring further support and capacity-building to be fully prepared. This shift signals a transformation in the travel industry, where mass tourism is gradually giving way to a model that prioritises local community involvement.
