Lenggong Geopark has introduced Malaysia’s first GeoEntrepreneur module to promote tourism and service quality among local entrepreneurs.
Lenggong:The Entrepreneur Course Module under the GeoEntrepreneur Program of Lenggong Geopark is the country’s first geopark entrepreneur development module aimed at strengthening the capacity of tourism and service industry players in the region.
Lenggong Geocommunity Committee chairman Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasrah said the initiative is another significant achievement after Lenggong became the first geopark in the country to introduce the GeoSchool module.
He said GeoEntrepreneur was developed to enhance the skills and quality of local entrepreneurs in various sectors including accommodation, food, transportation, event management and tourism services.
“This is the first geoentrepreneur module in Malaysia. There is no geopark in this country that has this kind of module.
“Earlier, we had launched GeoSchool and became the first geopark to have that module. This time we are creating another module to improve the quality of local entrepreneurs so that they can provide the best services to tourists,” he said.
Shamsul Anur told reporters after the launch of the GeoEntrepreneur Lenggong UNESCO Global Geopark presided over by Minister Besar Datuk Seri Sarani Mohd at Dewan Merdeka here today.
Shamsul Anuar, who is also the Deputy Home Affairs Minister and Member of Parliament for Lenggong, said the program emphasizes the development of community-based tourism entrepreneurs to meet the demands of tourists who are increasingly moving towards authentic and nature-based experiences.
According to him, although there are not many four or five star hotels in Lenggong, the area has great potential through resorts, bungalows and homestays that offer unique experiences to visitors.
Tourists, especially from the West, are more attracted to the natural environment which varies from one destination to another.
“Therefore, we want to ensure that local entrepreneurs are able to provide high quality facilities and services, even if they are not as international standard hotels,” he said.
He said that through the programme, a tourism directory will be created to facilitate visitors in getting information related to accommodation, dining places, tourism products and interesting activities in Lenggong through the use of quick response (QR) code system.
He said the development of GeoEntrepreneur is also part of Lenggong’s preparations to host various international events, including the Lenggong Dialogue in December.
Meanwhile, he said his team is planning to patent the GeoEntrepreneur module to ensure it becomes the intellectual property of the Lenggong UNESCO Global Geopark.
He also said that the move is important to safeguard the modules developed through local expertise and to enable Lenggong to emerge as a reference center for geopark entrepreneur training in the country.
“Many representatives from other geoparks have come to Lenggong to study the module we have developed. So we want to patent GeoEntrepreneur so that it remains the property of Lenggong Geopark,” he said.
