Source : The Star, Malaysia, 09 Feb '05
By : The Star
  

But the park’s Latak waterfalls would remain closed until restoration work was completed, said the Sarawak Forestry Corporation Protected Areas and Biodiversity Conservation unit’s general manager Wilfred Landong.

He said this was to ensure the safety of visitors.

The landslide and floods in late December damaged several facilities such as bridges, wooden walkways and rest houses in the park and also uprooted many of the plants.

Landong said the number of visitors to the more than a dozen national parks, wildlife centres and nature reserves state-wide surged to 317,000 last year from 231,000 in 2003, an increase of 37%.

Foreigners made up about 24% of the visitors.

“The Mulu National Park was the most popular, recording 24,000 visitors last year,” Landong said.

Other favourite destinations were the Bako National Park and Semenggok Wildlife Centre near here.

Landong attributed the keen interest of locals and foreigners in visiting national parks, wildlife centres and nature reserves to the tourism promotion campaigns by tour operators and the print and electronic media.