KUCHING: Bio-tourism will be developed as another strategy to woo foreign tourists to Sarawak and Sabah.

This was disclosed by Tourism Deputy Minister Datuk Dr James Dawos.

He said that one very good example of a bio-tourism product was the orang utan in Semonggok.

People flocking to see the orang utan is not eco-tourism. Orang utan is a part of the states biodiversity, he said at the Tourism Ministrys Gawai Dayak open house at Mile 10 multi-purpose hall in Kota Padawan yesterday.

He noted that eco-tourism could comprise a visit to an pristine forest which had not been disturbed by humans and no development.

He said in Malaysia, people promoted and marketed eco-tourism differently.

That is why based on statistics that I have looked into, only 3% of tourists visited eco-sites or eco-system because what they visited were actually bio-tourism sites.

He said it was more appropriate to adopt and develop bio-tourism because when tourists came, they were on holiday and did not want to be troubled by walking in a virgin forest or jungle.

They want to have comfort and so they want to walk in areas that have footpaths and where they can bring their cameras and wear good clothes.

When you provide these facilities, it is not eco-tourism but bio-tourism. They come to to see just one thing in nature, he said.

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