Frequent landslides rock rural tourism with heavy losses, says Sabah tourism minister

Sabah Published 1 week ago on 25 October 2024 | Author TIN Media
KOTA KINABALU::

An hour away in Sabah's Kiulu rural tourism hotspot, frequent road failures have severely damaged tour operators' operations and restricted locals' access.

 
After the most recent landslide along the mountainous Kiulu route in the foothills of Mount Kinabalu, schoolchildren were forced to trek over road collapses.
 
In order to draw attention to the hardships and financial effects of the regular road collapses brought on by landslides along the Kiulu road, Kiulu assemblyman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai voiced his concerns.
 
Since tour operators have already reported losing RM200,000 due to tour cancellations, the state's assistant minister of tourism, culture, and the environment stated that prompt repairs were essential. 

Due to travel brokers' classification of the region as high-risk in the wake of the landslides, tour operators in Kiulu are facing a sharp decline.
 
He cautioned during a visit to the impacted areas that "a variety of outdoor activities have been impacted by cancellations, and if repairs are not completed promptly, the financial consequences could worsen."
 
In order to react quickly to any indications of possible landslides or earth movements, he has urged the Public Works Department (JKR) and their contractors to conduct routine road monitoring in Kiulu. 

He claimed that the community was seriously disrupted by the landslides that mostly affected two important roads: Jalan Tamparuli-Kiulu near Kampung Malangang and Jalan Kiulu-Lawa Mandau near Kiulu.
 
During a site visit with the department to evaluate the condition at Jalan Tamparuli-Kiulu, Bangkuai stated that repairs would take two weeks.
 
He also mentioned that in order to help speed up repairs, he got in touch with state Works Minister Datuk Shahelmy Yahya and Deputy Chief Minister III.
 
Mejin Maginggow, president of the Kiulu Tourism Association, who accompanied Bangkuai to the site, stated that the tourism sector, which is mostly dependent on outdoor activities, will suffer greater losses the longer repairs take.