Assessing tourism potential for rural tourism development: Promoting SDGs and economic opportunities to the B40 community—A mixed method approach
Vol 5, Issue 1, 2024
Issue release: 30 June 2024
VIEWS - 4275 (Abstract)
Download PDF
Abstract
This research explores the untapped tourism potential of three tranquil villages in Bukit Tengah, Penang, Malaysia. Its overarching strategy is to foster sustainability and economic growth, particularly in the B40 communities of the area. Employing mixed-methods research, the study evaluates tourism products through systematic weighted scoring, questionnaire surveys, and interviews with key informants and tourism stakeholders. The sustainable development theory is used in this study as a conceptual framework for rural tourism development, emphasising the integration of economic, social, and environmental dimensions to ensure long-term viability and benefits for local communities. The results indicate the latent potential for rural tourism development in the three villages, contingent upon garnering local support and collaborating with tourism stakeholders. The study highlights the capacity of rural tourism promotion in generating additional income for the local population, thus promoting both environmental sustainability and community well-being. These findings align with the state government’s goal of achieving balanced tourism growth between the island and Seberang Prai regions. Moreover, this research also aligns with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 8 and 11, recognising the role of tourism in achieving goals such as poverty reduction, environmental sustainability, and community well-being, all of which are relevant to rural tourism development.
Keywords
References
1. Penang State Government. Penang State Structure Plan 2030. State Government Gazette. 2019; 63(3).
2. Ministry of Economic Affairs. Shared Prosperity Vision 2030. Institut Masa Depan Malaysia (MASA). Available online: https://www.epu.gov.my/sites/default/files/2020-02/Shared Prosperity Vision 2030.pdf (accessed on 5 October 5 2023).
3. Business Today Editorial. Anwar: What are the latest classifications in household incomes in Malaysia? Available online: https://www.businesstoday.com.my/2022/10/03/anwar-what-are-the-latest-classifications-in-household-incomes-in-malaysia/ (accessed on 3 October 2022).
4. Gunawijaya J, Akbar PNG, Pratiwi A. Community participation in rural tourism development: The experience of Wanayasa, Purwakarta. Journal of Indonesian Tourism and Policy Studies. 2023; 1(2).
5. Nair V, Hamzah A. Successful community-based tourism approaches for rural destinations. Vikneswaran Nair ,Assoc. Prof. Kash P, ed. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes. 2015; 7(5): 429-439. doi: 10.1108/whatt-06-2015-0023
6. Shahbaz M, Solarin SA, Azam M, et al. Tourism-induced income distribution in Malaysia: a practical experience of a truly Asian economy. Current Issues in Tourism. 2019; 23(23): 2910-2929. doi: 10.1080/13683500.2019.1697648
7. An W, Alarcon S. How can rural tourism be sustainable? A systematic review. Sustainability. 2020; 12(18): 7758. doi: 10.3390/su121877588
8. Fong SF, Lo MC, Songan P, Nair V. The impact of local communities’ involvement and relationship quality on sustainable rural tourism in rural area, Sarawak. The moderating impact of self-efficacy. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences. 2014; 144, 60-65. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.07.274
9. Magigi W, Ramadhani H. Enhancing Tourism Industry through Community Participation: A Strategy for Poverty Reduction in Zanzibar, Tanzania. Journal of Environmental Protection. 2013; 04(10): 1108-1122. doi: 10.4236/jep.2013.410127
10. Park D, Yoon Y. Developing sustainable rural tourism evaluation indicators. International Journal of Tourism Research. 2010; 13(5): 401-415. doi: 10.1002/jtr.804
11. Tseng ML, Lin C, Remen Lin CW, et al. Ecotourism development in Thailand: Community participation leads to the value of attractions using linguistic preferences. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2019; 231: 1319-1329. doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.05.305
12. Wijijayanti T, Agustina Y, Winarno A, et al. Rural tourism: A local economic development. Australian Accounting Business and Finance Journal. 2020; 14(1): 5-13. doi: 10.14453/aabfj.v14i.2
13. Masud MM, Aldakhil AM, Nassani AA, et al. Community-based ecotourism management for sustainable development of marine protected areas in Malaysia. Ocean & Coastal Management. 2017; 136: 104-112. doi: 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2016.11.023
14. Ryu K, Roy PA, Kim H (Lina), et al. The resident participation in endogenous rural tourism projects: a case study of Kumbalangi in Kerala, India. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing. 2019; 37(1): 1-14. doi: 10.1080/10548408.2019.1687389
15. Falak S, Chiun LM, Wee AY. A Repositioning Strategy for Rural Tourism in Malaysia—Community’s Perspective. Procedia—Social and Behavioral Sciences. 2014; 144: 412-415. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.07.310
16. Setokoe TJ, Ramukumba T. Community participation in the development of rural areas: A leaders’ perspective of tourism. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure. 2019; 8(1): 1-12.
17. Christou PA. Tourism experiences as the remedy to nostalgia: conceptualizing the nostalgia and tourism nexus. Current Issues in Tourism. 2018; 23(5): 612-625. doi: 10.1080/13683500.2018.1548582
18. Getz D. Event tourism: Definition, evolution, and research. Tourism Management. 2008; 29(3): 403-428. doi: 10.1016/j.tourman.2007.07.017
19. Cheng Y, Zhu K, Zhou Q, et al. Tourism Ecological Efficiency and Sustainable Development in the Hanjiang River Basin: A Super-Efficiency Slacks-Based Measure Model Study. Sustainability. 2023; 15(7): 6159. doi: 10.3390/su15076159
20. Eslami S, Khalifah Z, Mardani A, et al. Community attachment, tourism impacts, quality of life and residents’ support for sustainable tourism development. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing. 2019; 36(9): 1061-1079. doi: 10.1080/10548408.2019.1689224
21. Khalid S, Ahmad MS, Ramayah T, et al. Community Empowerment and Sustainable Tourism Development: The Mediating Role of Community Support for Tourism. Sustainability. 2019; 11(22): 6248. doi: 10.3390/su11226248
22. Pulpon ARR, Ruiz MDCC. Potential of vineyard landscapes for sustainable tourism. Geosciences. 2019; 9(11): 472. doi: 10.3390/geosciences9110472
23. Vu DV, Tran GN, Nguyen HTT, Nguyen CV. Factors affecting sustainable tourism development in Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Vietnam. Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business. 2020; 7(9): 561-572. doi: 10.13106/jafeb.2020.vol7.no9.561
24. Gamidullaeva L, Vasin S, Tolstykh T, et al. Approach to Regional Tourism Potential Assessment in View of Cross-Sectoral Ecosystem Development. Sustainability. 2022; 14(22): 15476. doi: 10.3390/su142215476
25. Koens K, Postma A, Papp B. Is Overtourism Overused? Understanding the Impact of Tourism in a City Context. Sustainability. 2018; 10(12): 4384. doi: 10.3390/su10124384
26. Russell R, Faulkner B. Entrepreneurship, Chaos and the Tourism Area Lifecycle. Annals of Tourism Research. 2004; 31(3): 556-579. doi: 10.1016/j.annals.2004.01.008
27. Sigala M. Tourism and COVID-19: Impacts and implications for advancing and resetting industry and research. Journal of Business Research. 2020; 117: 312-321. doi: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.06.015
28. Butler R, Boyd SW. Tourism and National Parks: Issues and Implications. Wiley. 2000.
29. United Nations. Goal 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all. Available online: https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2022 (accessed on 20 June 2023).
30. Streimikiene D, Svagzdiene B, Jasinskas E, et al. Sustainable tourism development and competitiveness: The systematic literature review. Sustainable Development. 2020; 29(1): 259-271. doi: 10.1002/sd.2133
31. Isa MI, Abdul Rahman N, Abdullah K, et al. Development of rural tourism in Perak Tengah district based on local authority perspectives. Planning Malaysia. 2022; 20. doi: 10.21837/pm.v20i23.1175
32. Martinez JMG, Martin JMM, Fernandez JA, Mogorron-Guerrero H. An analysis of the stability of rural tourism as a desired condition for sustainable tourism. Journal of Business Research. 2019; 100: 165-174. doi: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.03.033
33. Dašić D, Živković D, Vujić T. Rural tourism in development function of rural areas in Serbia. Ekonomika poljoprivrede. 2020; 67(3): 719-733. doi: 10.5937/ekopolj2003719d
34. Sadeghi HO, Seidaiy S. Tourism and rural development. Rural areas—Development and Transformations. 2023. doi: 10.5772/intechopen.111400
35. Heymann DC. Rural tourism: Driving the economy of Spain’s agricultural areas. Available online: https://www.caixabankresearch.com/en/sector-analysis/agrifood/rise-rural-tourism-spain-opportunity-rural-development (accessed on 20 June 2023).
36. Sajn N, Finer K. Rural tourism. EPRS—European Parliamentary Research Service. 2023; 1-8.
37. Earth Changers. Equality & reducing inequalities. Available online: https://www.earth-changers.com/purpose/equality (accessed on 20 June 2023).
38. UNWTO. Tourism in the 2030 agenda. Available online: https://www.unwto.org/tourism-in-2030-agenda (accessed on 8 July 2023).
39. International Labour Office (ILO). Stimulating rural growth, jobs and income through tourism. Available online: https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_emp/documents/publication/wcms_161153.pdf (accessed on 25 March 2023).
40. Catalyst H. Community engagement program—Mixed methods research. Available online: https://catalyst.harvard.edu/community-engagement/mmr/ (accessed on 20 June 2023).
41. Nasa M, Hassan FB. Assessment of Tourism Resource Potential at Buriram Province, Thailand. Asian Social Science. 2016; 12(10): 27. doi: 10.5539/ass.v12n10p27
42. Chyung SYY, Roberts K, Swanson I, et al. Evidence-Based Survey Design: The Use of a Midpoint on the Likert Scale. Performance Improvement. 2017; 56(10): 15-23. doi: 10.1002/pfi.21727
43. Via Michelin. Alternative travel. Available online: https://www.viamichelin.com/web/Routes?departure=bukit%20tengah%2C%20Malaysia&arrival=George%20Town%2C%20Malaysia&arrivalId=31NTEzNndzMTBjTlM0ME1URTFPUT09Y01UQXdMak14TlRZMA==&index=0&vehicle=0&type=0&distance=km¤cy=EUR&noRestrictions=true&highway=false&toll=false&vignette=false&orc=false&crossing=false&caravan=false&shouldUseTraffic=false&car=hatchback&fuel=petrol&fuelCost=1.684&allowance=0.000&corridor=&fuelConsumption=6.8:5.6:5.6 (accessed on 13 January).
44. Malaysian Employers Federation. T20, M40, B40 household income update 2023. Available online: https://www.mef.org.my/news/general_article.aspx?@ID=59 (accessed on 31 July 2023).
45. Insights. PM said B40 may have become B50 and those belong to M40 may have fallen into poverty. Available online: https://wargabiz.com.my/2021/03/25/pm-said-b40-may-have-become-b50-and-those-belong-to-m40-may-have-fallen-into-poverty/ (accessed on 25 March 2023).
46. Makmun MDM, Muryani C, Wijayanti P. The tourism impact on the social economic life of community in Ngargoyoso Sub-district, Karanganyar Regency. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science. 2021; 683(1): 012114. doi: 10.1088/1755-1315/683/1/012114
47. Nguyen TQT, Young T, Johnson P, et al. Conceptualising networks in sustainable tourism development. Tourism Management Perspectives. 2019; 32: 100575. doi: 10.1016/j.tmp.2019.100575
48. Adom D. The place and voice of local people, culture, and traditions: A catalyst for ecotourism development in rural communities in Ghana. Scientific African. 2019; 6: e00184. doi: 10.1016/j.sciaf.2019.e00184
49. Xiang Z, Du Q, Ma Y, et al. A comparative analysis of major online review platforms: Implications for social media analytics in hospitality and tourism. Tourism Management. 2017; 58: 51-65. doi: 10.1016/j.tourman.2016.10.001
50. Baloch QB, Shah SN, Iqbal N, et al. Impact of tourism development upon environmental sustainability: a suggested framework for sustainable ecotourism. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 2022; 30(3): 5917-5930. doi: 10.1007/s11356-022-22496-w
51. Gascón J, Mamani KS. Community‐based tourism, peasant agriculture and resilience in the face of COVID‐19 in Peru. Journal of Agrarian Change. 2021; 22(2): 362-377. doi: 10.1111/joac.12447
52. Lasso A, Dahles H. Are tourism livelihoods sustainable? Tourism development and economic transformation on Komodo Island, Indonesia. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research. 2018; 23(5): 473-485. doi: 10.1080/10941665.2018.1467939
53. Alvin L. Sustainable tourism practices: Balancing economic growth and environmental conservation. International Journal of Business Management and Visuals. 2021; 4(2): 1-6.
54. Jamal T, Robinson M. (2009). SAGE Handbook of Tourism Studies. SAGE Publications. pp. 716.
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2024 Irhanida Abdul Kadir, Leon Ni Chew
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
This site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
Prof. Hung-Che Wu
Nanfang College Guangzhou, China
Processing Speed
-
-
-
- ＜7 days: submission to initial review decision;
-
-
-
- 35 days: received to accepted
- 57 days: received to online
Asia Pacific Academy of Science Pte. Ltd. (APACSCI) specializes in international journal publishing. APACSCI adopts the open access publishing model and provides an important communication bridge for academic groups whose interest fields include engineering, technology, medicine, computer, mathematics, agriculture and forestry, and environment.
