The Rural Tourism Master Plan has put strong emphasis on developing and promoting ecotourism with iconic nature based attraction such as World Heritage Sites, RAMSAR sites, national parks, etc. However, the ecotourism products in Malaysia lack the competitive edge as compared to similar products in countries such as Peru and Vietnam. Moreover, ecotourism projects in this country often stagnate a few years after their inception. The homestay programme exemplifies this predicament, in which many homestays are only able to attract less that 100 visitors per years, and only a handful are able to move up the value chain. In the light of the above statement, this Tourism Capacity Building Programme is timely to create and enhance quality of the models of community based rural tourism projects. This short but impactful programme will equip policy makers and managers with the skills to effectively manage ecotourism development.