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ECOCLUB, Issue 90
THE ECOCLUB INTERVIEW
ALBERT TEO
“Ecolodge Recipy? Keep improving and don’t quit.”
A graduate in Economics from the University of London in 1977, Albert Teo has been in the
tourism industry for the last thirty years. Over the three decades, he has been a hotelier, tour
operator, lodge and backpacker owner and operator.
A keen photographer, he has trekked over 1,000km in Borneo and published over 150
postcards designs of Borneo and seven books including Sabah -Land of the Sacred
Mountain, Journey through Borneo, Saving Paradise-The Story of Sukau Rainforest Lodge
among others.
His companies Borneo Eco Tours and Sukau Rainforest Lodge have won numerous
international ecotourism awards. Borneo Eco Tours was awarded finalist in the 2006 First
Choice Responsible Tourism Awards at WTM London in "Most environmentally responsible
travel company" category while Sukau Rainforest Lodge was voted as one of two highly
commended "Best Small Hotel” category (below 50 rooms) in the same competition. The
success of Sukau Rainforest Lodge has encouraged him to share his experience of running
the lodge in Saving Paradise which he co-authored with fellow ECOCLUB Member Carol
Patterson in 2005 and which documented the ten years of operation of the lodge.
Over the last few years, Albert Teo has organized three highly successful international ecotourism conferences in Malaysia
including the World Ecotourism Conference and Field Trips in 1999, the 1st Asia Pacific Ecotourism Conference APeco2002
and Borneo Ecotourism Conference in 2005. He will be organizing the Borneo Tourism Conference BTC2007 with Professor
Ross Dowling of Edith Cowan University, Australia in September 2007.
Albert has served in various positions in the tourism industry including Sabah Chapter Chairman of Malaysian Association of
Tours and Travel Agents MATTA, Chairman of Sabah Tourist Association, Advisor of The International Ecotourism Society,
USA, and marketing committee of Sabah Tourism Board among others.
In the last few years Albert started to travel around the Asia Pacific countries as an ecotourism speaker on ecotour and ecolodge
operations and marketing through his consulting company, Borneo Integrated Services Pte Ltd. In October 2006, Albert was
recognized by Edith Cowan University, Australia for his contribution to the university where he was appointed as the Adjunct
Lecturer for three years.
The Interview follows:
ECOCLUB: In what way is Ecotourism better understood and practised today in Malaysia , compared to when you started,
30 years - a generation - ago? Have domestic and foreign tourists perception and attitudes changed in a significant way?
Albert Teo: We are very fortunate to have in place Malaysia Ecotourism Plan which was done in the mid 90s and used by the
government to guide their developments. As a result ecotourism is better understood by the serious practitioners including
academics, NGOs including WWF which assisted the government in drafting the ecotourism master plan, government
departments directly responsible for developing ecotourism and a few special interest tour and lodge operators. Many tourism
players have also been exposed to ecotourism through several international ecotourism conferences that I have organised under
Malaysian Association of Tours and Travel Agents MATTA including World Ecotourism Conference WEC1999, Asia Pacific
Ecotourism Conference APeco2002, Borneo Ecotourism Conference BEC2005 and the forthcoming Borneo Tourism
Conference BTC2007 in September 2007. Over the last few years, MATTA have also been organising the bi-annual APeco
conference in different parts of the country. The general level of understanding among Malaysians in the tourism industry is
therefore increasing though at a slower pace than the foreign tourists especially those who choose to come to Malaysian Borneo
states of Sabah and Sarawak where ecotourism products are more varied and better developed.
ECOCLUB: Your book, co-authored with Carol Patterson, on Sukau bravely informs the readers about some of the
challenges you faced, and indirectly indicates some of the weaknesses. How easy was it for you as a business person to reveal
some of your secrets? And how transparent can Lodge and Tour Operators really be, in their quest to safeguard their reputation
from competitors and malicious others?
Albert Teo: I have personally acquired most of my knowledge on ecotourism through books that I read and have been asked
countless times to share my experiences by potential investors, developers and tourists alike. I have also seen many mistakes
