On a study trip to Kuching in neighbouring Sarawak/Malaysia organized by the West Kalimantan FORCLIME team from October 7 to 11, 2018, valuable insights into the organization and management of ecotourism should be gathered there. Participants were representatives of the village of Karangan Bunut, who engage in tourism by inviting visitors to visit and offer eco lodge and longhouse accommodation. They were accompanied by members of the FORCLIME team, who have been supporting the development of local tourism for some time.

In Kuching, special attention has been paid to the possibilities of cooperation between public institutions and the private sector in order to improve the tourist offer, which focuses mainly on outdoor activities and the Kalimantan Dayak culture. In addition, ideas for increasing the attractiveness of staying in the Kapuas Hulu district and in Karangan Bunut have been exchanged with travel agencies and other professional institutions.
In lively discussions, the interest in future cooperation was sparked and the future possibilities were explored. In addition, personal contacts could be established, which aimed at the further exchange and joint promotion of cross-border tourism.

Already on the trip home, the participants of the study trip agreed with which measures the tourist offer in their home village should be improved.

For more details, please contact:
Karl Jaeger, Development Advisor Agroforestry
Klothilde Sikun, Technical Advisor for Geographical Information Systems
Petrus Derani, Technical Advisor for Community Based Forest Management