Bajausama Festival Set To Become Key Tourism Event With Uitm Sabah’s Groundbreaking Research

Published on August 12, 2025 |

Now successful its 3rd year, nan Bajausama Ethnic Cultural Festival has solidified its spot arsenic a item for Sabah, Malaysia. The show serves arsenic a vibrant shape for nan Bajausama organization to bring their surviving culture—traditional dances, music, handicrafts, and oral histories—front and centre. With an oculus connected inclusion successful nan nationalist tourism calendar, nan arena is presently undergoing a thorough effect study directed by nan Faculty of Hotel and Tourism Management astatine Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Sabah. Backed by nan Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC), nan investigation evaluates really good nan show is drafting visitors and whether it is successfully carrying Bajausama practice to a wider Malaysian and world audience.

The Significance of nan Impact Study

A broad effect study is important for nan festival’s future. Led by Dr Spencer Hedley Mogindol, a elder teacher astatine UiTM Sabah, this investigation is designed to measure nan event’s economic, sociocultural, and practice nutrient preservation impacts. The study serves arsenic some archiving for nan authorities and arsenic a captious instrumentality for readying early editions of nan festival. By collecting information from various stakeholders, including visitors and exhibitors, nan study will supply insights into really nan arena aligns pinch its objectives, including attracting visitors and highlighting nan Bajausama community’s taste heritage.

The information gathered will beryllium pivotal successful determining whether nan show tin go an established arena wrong nan nationalist tourism calendar. Although nan show is already listed successful nan Sabah Tourism Board’s calendar, MOTAC’s endorsement is basal for its nickname arsenic a cardinal tourism event. Dr. Mogindol stressed that nan investigation results will service arsenic a benchmark for early festivals and assistance successful improving arena guidance and planning.

Research Focus and Methodology

The study, which spans 4 days, involves 21 students and 8 researchers from nan Faculty of Hotel and Tourism Management astatine UiTM Sabah. The investigation intends to stitchery information from 400 respondents, including some visitors and exhibitors astatine nan festival. The attraction is connected 3 cardinal areas: economical impact, sociocultural influence, and nan preservation of practice foods.

Economic effect involves evaluating really nan show contributes to nan section system by attracting visitors, some home and international. Sociocultural power assesses really nan show enhances nationalist knowing of nan Bajausama civilization and its traditions. The practice nutrient preservation facet focuses connected really nan show supports nan continuation of accepted Bajausama nutrient practices.

The information from this study will not only assistance successful refining nan festival’s early editions but besides supply important insights for nan festival’s stakeholders, including MOTAC, nan Sabah Tourism Board (STB), and different section authorities.

MOTAC’s Role and Future Prospects

MOTAC plays a important domiciled arsenic nan festival’s sponsor, and its engagement successful this study highlights nan government’s committedness to preserving and promoting Malaysia’s divers taste heritage. As nan highest tourism authority successful nan country, MOTAC’s support of nan festival’s inclusion successful nan nationalist tourism almanac is basal for its semipermanent success. The study’s findings are expected to power decision-making regarding nan event’s early and guarantee that it meets MOTAC’s objectives.

The show has already garnered attraction from various authorities entities and stakeholders. By focusing connected nan economical and taste benefits of nan festival, nan study intends to fortify its position successful nan tourism sector, drafting much visitors and bolstering nan promotion of nan Bajausama community.

A Collaborative Effort to Promote Heritage

The Bajausama Ethnic Cultural Festival is much than conscionable a ceremony of culture; it is portion of a broader effort to beforehand and sphere nan practice of Sabah’s indigenous communities. In summation to nan festival, nan Heritage Flavours Festival astatine Sabah, organised by MOTAC successful collaboration pinch nan authorities government, was held alongside. This arena featured accepted trade exhibitions, a Bajau Headdress Queen competition, Betitik (a accepted philharmonic performance), and a integer nutrient photography contest. These activities item nan value of preserving taste traditions and promoting them arsenic portion of Malaysia’s tourism offering.

Government Support and Festival’s Impact connected Tourism

The engagement of nan Sabah government, done some MOTAC and nan National Heritage Department, has been instrumental successful nan festival’s development. This support underscores nan value of practice tourism and its imaginable to lend to nan section economy. Events for illustration nan Bajausama Ethnic Cultural Festival not only supply a level for showcasing accepted arts and crafts but besides create opportunities for section businesses, hotels, and restaurants to use from accrued visitant traffic.

Sabah, known for its earthy beauty and vibrant indigenous cultures, is becoming an progressively celebrated destination for travellers willing successful taste tourism. The Bajausama Ethnic Cultural Festival offers a unsocial penetration into nan customs and traditions of 1 of Sabah’s salient taste groups, making it an charismatic summation to nan country’s tourism calendar.

The Future of nan Bajausama Festival

As nan study progresses, nan findings will supply valuable information that will guideline nan early of nan Bajausama Ethnic Cultural Festival. Organisers dream to build connected nan festival’s occurrence by incorporating nan study’s recommendations, improving arena management, and expanding its entreaty to some section and world tourists. The study is besides a measurement toward securing nan festival’s position arsenic a important taste event, contributing to Sabah’s tourism sector.

In nan years to come, nan Bajausama Ethnic Cultural Festival whitethorn go a staple successful Malaysia’s tourism calendar, further solidifying Sabah’s estimation arsenic a cardinal taste destination successful Southeast Asia.

Conclusion

Held successful nan unfastened oversea threads of Sabah’s coast, nan Bajausama Ethnic Cultural Festival is much than a kaleidoscope of songs and sails; it is nan agleam underwater lantern showing nan world really Sabah’s first group support nan oceans successful their humor and nan federation successful their stead. Steady hands from nan national and authorities governments, together pinch nan watcher’s eyes of an effect study now successful nan water, person formed nan show arsenic an motor of practice tourism, fresh to floor plan Sabah’s visitor-forward people for generations.

Under sea-salted rooftops, researchers from UiTM Sabah, planners from MOTAC, and nan Sabah custodian circle person braided their expertise and goodwill truthful that nan Bajausama bosom is not simply performed connected nan shape but carried truthfully successful each pearl connected nan visitor’s necklace. This tripartite enslaved lifts nan show beyond fixtures of colourful dance, placing Sabah firmly connected nan representation of each culture-seeking voyager who yearns for stories that tin beryllium felt, tasted, and lived.

Image Credit: My Sabah Official Website