Sabah's homestay industry has shown positive growth and is one of Malaysia's top earners, with revenues of over RM 6 million last year, said Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi, Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture.

He has said that, with 68,269 visitors, and even from outside, the Seri Serbang Homestay in Bongawan alone had approximately RM 2.02 million of revenue.

"Sabah has 51 homestay villages alone. Papar and Beaufort have the highest number of homestays," he told reporters after launching last night's Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bongawan II Cuti-Cuti Malaysia Tour in conjunction with Visit Malaysia2020 (VM2020).

Mohamaddin said the government is committed not only to Kota Kinabalu but also to the rural areas, to ensure the same share of economic prosperity.

He said earlier that the government would focus on the intelligent partnership between the State of Sabah and the private sector and hoped that the Joint Undertaking would contribute to the development of local tourism, as in Kimanis ' parliamentary electoral area.

"The federal government and government of the State Sabah will cooperate to boost the tourism industry of Sabah through the VM2020 initiative.

"In nature, we have a great variety, beautiful beaches, islands, oceans, the warmth of the local hospitality that makes Sabah so unique," he said.

The state tourism sector enjoyed good returns with more than three million tourist arrivals including from overseas, Mohamaddin said from January through September last year.

"Sabah is the country's third-largest tourism contributor," he said.

In this regard, he stated that in addition to increasing tourism spending, the program VM2020 would further boost the domestic tourism sector.

Meanwhile, Datuk Ahmad Shah Hussein, Chairman of Tourism Malaysia, said the VM2020 Tour was the first program of its kind outside Kota Kinabalu, which showed the determination of both federal and state governments to drive the tourism sector on the West coast of Sabah.

The Bongawan area on the western coast is a tourist destination with a wide range of fascinating eco-tourism items like fireflies.