Community-based Transboundary Ecotourism in the Heart of Borneo: A Case Study of the Kelabit Highlands of Malaysia and the Kerayan Highlands of Indonesia

Published in the Journal of Ecotourism, this article examines the current state of community-based transboundary ecotourism in the Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak, Malaysia, and the Kerayan Highlands of Kalimantan, Indonesia. These areas are included within the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF)-led international "Heart of Borneo" conservation initiative, which aims to simultaneously promote conservation and sustainable development by linking protected areas with low-impact use zones in a variety of ecosystem types.

Research for this case study was conducted primarily in the Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak, and it included: interviews with local actors in ecotourism (local guides and homestay owners, as well as urban-based tour operators and tourism promotion centres and agencies); participation in inter-community dialogues regarding transboundary ecotourism; and analysis of promotional materials on ecotourism in these areas, comments in the visitors' books of lodges, and tourists' websites and travel blogs.

A variety of community-based organisations (CBOs) promoting ecotourism in this area are described. For example, FORMADAT, or Alliance of the Indigenous People of the Highlands in the Heart of Borneo (Forum Masyarakat Adat [Asli] Dataran Tinggi Borneo), is a transboundary CBO led by village headmen. It was officially established in 2003 with the financial and organisational assistance of WWF-Indonesia. Their mission is to: "increase awareness and understanding about the highland communities, build local capacity, and encourage sustainable development in the Heart of Borneo". The most recent FORMADAT meeting was held in Long Layu', Kalimantan, in November 2007, and it was attended by 3 of the 5 co-authors of this article. At this meeting, the importance of partnership was articulated: There was agreement that the respective districts would continue to work closely with governmental agencies and national and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to ensure the on-the-ground implementation of activities within the Heart of Borneo initiative, focusing on conservation and economic, social, and cultural programmes that will directly benefit the local highland communities. As many of the attendees were themselves guides on the Kalimantan side of the border, they were especially eager to hear of the challenges on the Sarawak side, and likewise, those attending from Sarawak listened to the challenges from the Kalimantan side. Thus, according to the authors, this FORMADAT meeting became a venue for the active exchange of information and ideas that will benefit ecotourism development on both sides of the border.

For the authors, this type of experience reveals that "[g]enuine community-driven ecotourism development requires that local communities determine the type and trajectory of tourism development, not merely react to the needs and desires of foreign tourists and accept top-down implementation of tourism projects by outside agencies. Due to the remoteness of this area, so far there has been little threat of the imposition of tourism on these communities, so it has remained in the hands of the community members. This could change in the near future, however, as the highlands become accessible by logging roads and more infrastructure development is sponsored by the government and the private sector. Concern for local autonomy has guided both local ecotourism initiatives and NGO-assisted programmes for ecotourism development in the highlands of Borneo. At the same time, communities and assisting organisations recognise the need to work with multiple stakeholders in ecotourism development..."

The research with local community members revealed that the main issues that need to be addressed in ecotourism in this region include: (1) protection of forests and cultural sites as foci for ecotourism; (2) improved communication between villages, guides, and lodges; (3) increased promotion of transboundary trekking options; (4) village-level preparation for more tourists and more equitable distribution of income generated from ecotourism; (5) careful improvements in tourism infrastructure; (6) the negotiation of legal complications arising from international border crossings by tourists and guides; and (7) the maintenance of local control over ecotourism management and of the trajectory of future tourism development in the Heart of Borneo.

To detail more thoroughly the second major challenge to transboundary ecotourism development cited above: Communication between villages, guides, and lodges on both sides of the border is difficult. "Means of communication are limited; the Kelabit Highlands has only a few telephones that use satellites and solar power, and these only function intermittently. There is an Internet telecentre in Bario in the Kelabit Highlands, but there are currently no Internet capabilities in the Kerayan Highlands. It is possible to use mobile phones in some villages on the Indonesian side of the border, but not on the Malaysian side. To date, there are no fax machines on either side of the border. Communication tends to be written or verbal, and these methods are not always reliable. While it is expected that the Kerayan Highlands will soon receive an Internet centre and that the Kelabit Highlands will soon receive a tower that will enable the use of mobile telephones, for now this uneven technological development in the Kelabit and Kerayan Highlands makes communication difficult. This lack of communication technology is a key reason that urban-based tour operators in Sarawak are reluctant to organise tour packages to the Kelabit Highlands. It also obviously creates major complications for tourists who need to make advance bookings with guides and lodges, especially when they want to trek across international borders."

Also, related to the third challenge, promotion, the authors observe that there is very little printed information on the Kelabit Highlands. Tourists who do visit the Kelabit Highlands do so based on the recommendations of other tourists or on information found in tourist guide books or on web-based tourist blogs. LSM Tanah Tam has produced promotional brochures, available in both English and Indonesian, for ecotourism packages in the Kerayan Highlands; "if similar brochures on ecotourism in the Kelabit Highlands were circulated in visitor centres, airports, and hotels in Sarawak, the number of tourists visiting the Kelabit Highlands would likely increase." The research revealed that the Sarawak Tourism Board is also eager to promote Kelabit Highlands, but, according to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Gracie Geikie, what is needed first is an updated website with current information regarding guides (experience, areas of expertise, fees, and direct contact information), lodges and homestays (locations, attractions, and costs), transportation (options and costs), and tourist itineraries.

In concluding, the authors stress that, in addition to the challenges cited above, issues related to equitable distribution of benefits within and between communities must be addressed by local organisations, and these organisations must continue to guide the vision, pace, and trajectory of ecotourism development, if this is to truly remain a community-based venture in the future.