KIULU: Sabah has potential to develop camping activities, with its rivers, mountains and beaches offering suitable settings, said Tourism Malaysia Sabah tourism officer Nasrul Hadi Menan.
Nasrul said Tourism Malaysia supported camping activities as one of the special-interest events for outdoor enthusiasts.
He said this during the third edition of Jom Camping 2026 held at Kiulu Adventure Centre from Aug 29 to 31.
He said participation had declined slightly this year, due to higher airfare costs for those coming from outside Sabah.
“For previous events, we had participants from Sarawak, Peninsular Malaysia and Brunei. But for this event, airfare costs have increased, so people are thinking twice about coming,” he said.
However, he said support from private companies, including sponsorships and prizes, remained encouraging.
This time, most participants were from Sabah, including non-Sabahans living in the state, he said.
Event organiser Saffary Dino Osman of Borneo Beautiful said Jom Camping was held every two years and combined camping with outdoor activities.
The event was first held at River Bay Beach, Tuaran, in 2022, followed by second edition in Padas, Tenom, in 2024.
Saffary said the latest edition attracted about 75 participants, slightly fewer than in previous editions, due to higher participation fees needed to cover organising costs.
He said the concept was to provide participants with an opportunity to take part in activities such as rafting and ziplining.
He said the event was also designed to help people, particularly those who may be introverted or find it difficult to make new friends, build connections with others who share similar interests.
He believes Sabah has significant potential to develop camping as a tourism product, particularly given its combination of rivers, mountains and beaches.
He said the challenge was not a lack of attractions, but the lack of organised camping packages that include outdoor activities.
He suggested a camping package where visitors could camp at one location on the first day, then travel to Kundasang the next day, followed by places such as Kota Belud or Melangkap.
Such packages, he said, could offer tourists different experiences, ranging from rivers and mountains to beaches, while promoting tourism products in the respective destinations.
According to Saffary, camping sites in Sabah are relatively affordable, costing around RM15 to RM35 per night, compared with some sites in Peninsular Malaysia that can cost around RM100 per night.
However, he said camping had yet to gain the same level of recognition as more established tourism products such as mountain and island experiences.
Saffary described the outdoor tourism segment as still relatively new, with considerable room for growth.
The experience gained from the latest edition, he said, would be used to improve future events, particularly in terms of activities, logistics, participant management and overall event operations.
He added that friendships formed through previous editions had continued beyond the events through WhatsApp groups created for participants. – Wu Vuide
Nasrul (right), received a souvenir from Saffary during the third Jom Camping.
