KSH coordinator Jamilah with the Outstanding Entrepreneur Award for Clustered Homestay.
KUCHING: Kampung Santubong Homestay (KSH) added another feather to its cap when it won the Outstanding Entrepreneur Award for Clustered Homestay at the national-level ‘One District One Industry’ (SDSI) 2016 showcase held at the Melaka International Trade Centre recently.
For this recognition as the best managed homestay in the country, KSH bagged a cash prize of RM3,500, a trophy and a certificate.
Since its inception in 2008, KSH has won numerous recognitions and awards including Best Homestay during the 2009/2010 Sarawak Hornbill Tourism Awards and the Asean Homestay Award from Asean Homestay Standard (AHS) last year.
“I feel happy to receive this award as it means a lot to us after eight years of struggle,” said KSH coordinator Jamilah Shukri,
“It is hoped that by winning this award, we can motivate and inspire other homestay operators in Sarawak to achieve (their) greatest potential and make the state proud by winning local and international homestay competitions.”
Jamilah plans to help develop the state’s tourism industry by actively promoting and selling local products especially those from Santubong.
“We want to make our tourism products known throughout the state, country and the world.
“I am also planning to organise training programmes to encourage more homestay operators to be among the best in the country and win awards like what KSH has achieved throughout the years,” said Jamilah.
The winners for the recently concluded national-level SDSI 2016 showcase were selected by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture.
The annual event was initiated in 2006 to develop and guide local entrepreneurs so they could participate in supply chains serving multinational companies worldwide.
Over 500 local and foreign exhibitors took part in this year’s event which also attracted 149,000 visitors from all over the world.
The SDSI programme searches for and develops products and services with a unique local identity that have potential to be commercialised for international markets.
“Through this programme, I managed to strengthen business ties with other small and medium industry entrepreneurs as well as enhance my knowledge, skills and competency in managing my business,” Jamilah added.
Also present at the closing ceremony which was officiated at by Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Idris Haron was Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed and his deputy Datuk Ahmad Maslan.