The Faculty of Business, Economics and Accountancy (FPEP), and Borneo Tourism Research Center, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) has recently organised the Tourism Product Development Seminar 2018 at Kampung Kobuni, Inanam.

FPEP UMS Senior Lecturer, Dr. Awang Hassanal Bahar Pengiran Bagul said the seminar was jointly organised by Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) in conjunction with the National Blue Ocean Strategy (NBOS) programme for Community Based Tourism around Kota Kinabalu.

"Kobuni Village is among one of the new sites in Kota Kinabalu that have the potential in community tourism.

"Therefore, the seminar will help the community to plan their own strategies in developing their own tourism" he said when met by the media after the seminar.

Dr. Awang Hassanal who is also the seminar organising chairman stated that Kampung Kobuni has received various visitors especially students from all over the country and it also has been awarded the "Anugerah Desa Sejahtera” Award back in 2014.

"Last year, Kobuni Village won the Cleanest Village Award during the "Kampung Bebas Sampah” competition organized by DBKK" he said.

Meanwhile, DBKK Director of Bureau of Economic, Tourism and International Relations, Fauziahton Ag Samad hoped the seminar will help local residents to further develop the tourism sector in their village.

"I would like to thank UMS and hope that they will continue to support community-based tourism in Kota Kinabalu through such programmes" she said.

During the seminar, Dr. Awang Hassanal with two other UMS Tourism Management Programme Senior Lecturers, Dr. Tini Maizura Mohtar and Kamarul Mizal Marzuki shared their ideas in planning and developing tourism in the village to help the local communities.

The one-day seminar was attended by 30 people from Kampung Kobuni. Sabah Tourism and Culture Ministry office (MOTAC) director Ag Ahmad Zaki Abu Bakar officiated the inauguration ceremony.