LEISURE WALK: Zulkifli (left) briefing the foreign tourists and invited guests before the start of their ‘Kampung Walk’ at Kampung Santubong. At right is Talip.
SANTUBONG: Assistant Minister of Tourism Datuk Talip Zulpilip is optimistic more tourists will be coming to the state particularly to Santubong when more tourism products are developed.
Offering small tourism products such as signature local dishes or even watching fireflies in the forests have the potential of attracting tourists, he told The Borneo Post recently.
Talip, who is also Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) chairman, also expressed confidence that city folks would visit Santubong more frequently once new and upcoming tourism products are offered.
Organising walks at Santubong beach and around the nearby fishing villages could perhaps be a good starting point, he said.
“Such walks can rekindle our fond memories of kampung life,” he told reporters at the ‘Kampung Walk’ event held at Damai on Wednesday evening.
Talip, together with Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) chief executive officer Datuk Rashid Khan, were among the 50 people who participated in the event organised by Damai Beach Resort.
He said watching fireflies in the nearby forest itself was an interesting experience for visitors, especially children because today’s young generation had never had the opportunity to explore such outdoor adventures.
“When I was small, I had the opportunity to watch them glow beautifully at night and sadly not many young ones are able to do so now,” he added.
The walk was led by Damai Beach Resort general manager Zulkifli Othman with tourists from Japan, Korea, England and Germany joining in.
The walk started from the rustic Kampung Santubong and the leisure stroll gave them a glimpse of the historical Wallace Point.