More than 27,000 tourists have visited the village of Talungan here which is becoming increasingly famous for its river with crystal clear water and a magnificent view of the majestic Mount Kinabalu.

Sabah Tourism Board chairman, Datuk Joniston Bangkuai said this shows that Kadamaian is able to develop sources of high economic impact through the development of rural tourism.

There are several other similar rivers in the area such as Kilombon, Panataran and Woriu where the traditional tagal practice of prohibiting fishing is enforced for a certain period of time to sustain life in the river.

"Kadamaian has its own unique beauty and charm that is set within a natural environment and this makes it an ideal destination for eco-tourism in the country, especially Sabah" he said when officiating at the Charity Dinner of the Kadamaian Tourism Association (KATA) Kota Belud at Dewan Tun Said, Kota Belud last Saturday.

Joniston also expressed appreciation to the local community here for supporting the tourism sector which has become their source of income.

He also pointed out that they could tap into the millions of tourists arriving in Sabah annually of which about 3.4 million visited the state last year.

Meanwhile, Kadamaian Travel Association (KATA) Kota Belud which was established two years ago pledges to play a proactive role in ensuring the district continues to grow into a popular destination for tourism.

Earlier, chairman KATA, Walter Kandayon said since the association was founded, various educational and awareness programmes have been carried out for the local community to teach them the importance of developing Kadamaian into an eco-tourism place.

"KATA intends to bring awareness to the community by conducting workshops and briefings on eco-tourism for local folks" he added.

He said the objective of the association is to ensure the community remains united to maintain and preserve the existing natural environment for future generations.

Currently, there are more than 200 people in KATA and a total of 28 committees have been registered under KATA.