By Lau Sook May
SHAH ALAM, July 12 — The Selangor Community Hosts programme by Tourism Selangor has been activated! Fifty such guides have started their duties in Kuala Selangor and Sabak Bernam, bringing domestic and foreign tourists a taste of their local cultures.
In both districts, 25 community hosts — 14 men and 11 women aged 25 to 70 — will guide travellers around their neighbourhood hotspots.
Tourism Selangor CEO Chua Yee Ling in an interview with Media Selangor said the 50 hosts will greet visitors and rekindle the travelling bug for rural destinations, in addition to providing a new tourist experience.
“All participants have undergone a 16-day, or 120-hour, intensive training, involving modules such as the basics of tourism driving, understanding local cultures, and tourism communication skills,” she said.
Chua added that the training programme began in May and ended last month, with a main focus of the initiative being culture mapping and the polishing of storytelling skills.
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Tourism Selangor chief executive officer Chua Yee Ling speaks to Media Selangor in Jenjarom, Kuala Langat, on January 12, 2025. — Picture by AHMAD ZAKKI JILAN/MEDIA SELANGOR[/caption]
Community hosts to get Motac licences
All Selangor Community Host programme participants who complete their training will receive an official licence from the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry (Motac), making them accredited community tour guides.
Chua said the 50 pioneering community hosts bear a massive responsibility, adding that Tourism Selangor was stringent in evaluating their performance so they passed their tests with flying colours.
“Some of them already had tour guide licences and were experienced, and with the official Motac licence, they will be more prepared to play roles as local tourism ambassadors,” she said.
She added that the Kuala Selangor Municipal Council and Sabak Bernam District Council will coordinate the hosts with the arrival of tour groups.
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Members of the Asean Task Force on Peatlands trek through the forest during a site visit to the peat swamp rehabilitation area at the Raja Musa Forest Reserve in Bestari Jaya, Kuala Selangor, on June 25, 2025. — Picture by BERNAMA[/caption]
Expansion to other districts
Three more local councils — that of Sepang, Selayang and Kuala Langat — have expressed interest in the programme.
Chua however cited a limited budget as the reason the Selangor Community Host programme has only been launched in Kuala Selangor and Sabak Bernam this year.
“The three local councils have sent applications and agreed to share training costs, and my office is coordinating the matter,” she said.
Chua expressed hope that every district in the state will have its own Selangor Community Host group in the near future, to allow every tourist visiting the state to more profoundly explore Selangor’s unique culture.
