Appropriate interpretations and quality of tourists’ experience in historical cities is crucial i... more Appropriate interpretations and quality of tourists’ experience in historical cities is crucial in ensuring revisit by historic tourists. This research explores the ability and readiness of rickshaw pullers as informal tourist interpreters in helping to enhance the quality of tourists’ experience in Malacca. This study intends to identify whether the nature of tourist guide suit the characteristics of rickshaw pullers to become a good informal tourist interpreter. Data collection involved survey among 250 registered rickshaw pullers from four trishaw associations. This study has indicated the path traveled by the rickshaw pullers around Malacca. Result from the analysis has produced several maps such as trishaw trail and food trail suggested by the respondents to the tourists. Based on the findings, most of the respondents suit the characteristic of tourist guide and ready to become an informal interpreter. Several suggestions have been made to improve their skills in becoming a good informal tourist interpreter which include attending self improvement courses and enhancing their communication skills. Implication of this study will contribute to the development of tourism industry especially in heritage and food tourism while improving the quality of tourists’ experience in the historical cities.
Waterfront development emerged as one of the important issues of urban design and planning since ... more Waterfront development emerged as one of the important issues of urban design and planning since it provides an opportunity to improve social well-being, economic development and physical setting of a city. In recent decades, many waterfronts have experienced reorientation from brownfield to commercial, residential and recreational areas. Many early cities are located close to water bodies due to water being a form of transportation. However, the advancement of modern infrastructures such as roadways and increased modes of transportation has moved the central business district into inner lands. This has left many old city centres suffering economic depression, losing their local identity as people moved to other places, and eventually facing abandonment. In this case, tourism is seen as a panacea to help revitalizing those areas. This paper seeks to address the evolution of historic waterfront at World Heritage Sites in Malaysia, from the perspective of tourism development. By using...
PurposeThis study aims to examine the relationship between recreation specialization and diver... more PurposeThis study aims to examine the relationship between recreation specialization and diver's underwater behavior in Perhentian Island.Design/methodology/approachData were collected using a pilot survey on 50 divers in Perhentian Island. In‐depth interviews with several dive operators were also conducted to support the findings.FindingsSpecialized divers tend to recognize unacceptable behavior rather than less specialized divers. Skilled specialized divers tend not to touch the reefs and not to collect dead pieces of the corals compared to less skilled divers.Practical implicationsSpecialization and skills of divers can be used as an input to study diver underwater behavior while simultaneously providing insights on coral preservation.Originality/valueIt is important to manage diver behavior as there are now several diving operators who offer unlimited diving packages catering to day and night diving from shore. Divers can minimize their impacts by practicing responsible divi...
The quality and quantity of lodging supply are critical factors in determining tourism success in... more The quality and quantity of lodging supply are critical factors in determining tourism success in any tourist destinations. In Malaysia, the development of tourist accommodations has been based on speculation due to lack of reliable data to support feasibility study and realistic trend analyses. One of the top destinations in Malaysia is highland areas as tourists can enjoy beautiful scenery view from the hill top with its cold breezy fresh air. Over the years, tourist arrivals to highland areas increased up near to 8 million tourists every year, forcing the potential stakeholders to invest and develop more lodgings, facilities and proper infrastructures to cater tourists' needs. In achieving sustainability of tourism development, developers sometimes pay no heed to the planning guidelines as they are too eager about profit and investment of the development. Carrying capacity is one of the planning tools to measure sustainable development. Uncontrolled development has resulted a...
Due to its popularity and lucrative business opportunity, snorkeling has become the predominant a... more Due to its popularity and lucrative business opportunity, snorkeling has become the predominant activity in many marine parks. Continuous growth in the number of tourists and mass tourism has resulted in uncontrolled number of tourists, sometimes to pass over the carrying capacity of the site. Due to the lack of control and enforcement, many tour boat operators are seen bringing snorkelers to small fragile sites at the same timeframe. Such situation has resulted in reduced quality of tourist experience and satisfaction level as they need to cram in with others at the designated snorkeling areas. This study analyzes the influence of tourist demographic profile on the satisfaction level with snorkeling experience in the Pulau Payar Marine Park, a small coral island in Malaysia. A total of 259 snorkelers answered the survey that forms the basis of this paper. The results tested using t-tests and ANOVA, show significant differences between satisfaction level and respondents’ socio-demog...
The Ferringhi beach in Penang (Malaysia) is one of main attractions in the country that attracts ... more The Ferringhi beach in Penang (Malaysia) is one of main attractions in the country that attracts both local and international tourists. The beach is also a popular weekend spot for recreational activities among Penangites as well as excursionists from nearby states. The growth of hotels, apartments and second homes along the five kilometers stretch has reduced the much-needed public beach spaces for the general public. Some of the popular beach spots become the target of various passive activities such as sun bathing, jogging, swimming, and picnicking. But, due to the concentration of visitors, the same spots also host some active activities such as horse riding, parasailing, and speed boating. The interlocking of these passive and active activities, without proper guidelines and zoning, has created serious problems and sometime, dire consequences, which sometimes include fatalities. By employing a selected risk assessment method or model, this paper reports on an assessment of the ...
Continuous growth in the number of tourists at the Marine Parks in Malaysia has resulted in uncon... more Continuous growth in the number of tourists at the Marine Parks in Malaysia has resulted in uncontrolled number of tourists, sometimes surpassing the carrying capacity of the site. Such situation has resulted in reduced quality of visitor experience and satisfaction level at the Marine Parks. By taking Pulau Payar Marine Park as an example, this study aims to evaluate snorkeling satisfaction on 259 selected respondents at the marine park. The measurement of snorkeling satisfaction is based on the mean analysis, i.e. the importance mean (expected mean) and the satisfaction mean (perceived mean). The results showed that the perceived mean is less than the expected mean for all attributes except for ‘fish feeding activity’. Over sixty eight percent were satisfied with the environmental service quality offered by the Marine Park, but several issues need to be managed by the Marine Park Department. Suggestions, such as limiting the number of visitors to the park, improving public facilit...
Historical preservation is important to protect significant historic resources from destruction a... more Historical preservation is important to protect significant historic resources from destruction and inappropriate changes. Urban waterfronts are unique cultural resources that have its own identity, represent the lifestyle of surrounding communities. Over the years, the activities along the waterfront have changed along with city development, resulting in the loss of sense of place. In recent years, the agenda of preservation the cultural value of waterfront areas has been a research focus among the civil society and NGOs. However, in the midst of rapid development, this aspect is often overlooked and deteriorates the historical values of the place. At the same time, the quality of life of waterfront communities is also affected. This conceptual paper is a call for a set of actions to ensure that historical values at these places are protected. Through content analysis from previous literature reviews, this paper investigates how regeneration of historic waterfronts can help in pres...
Continuous growth in the number of tourists at the Marine Parks in Malaysia has resulted in uncon... more Continuous growth in the number of tourists at the Marine Parks in Malaysia has resulted in uncontrolled number of tourists, sometimes surpassing the carrying capacity of the site. Such situation has resulted in reduced quality of visitor experience and satisfaction level at the Marine Parks. By taking Pulau Payar Marine Park as an example, this study aims to evaluate snorkeling satisfaction on 259 selected respondents at the marine park. The measurement of snorkeling satisfaction is based on the mean analysis, i.e. the importance mean (expected mean) and the satisfaction mean (perceived mean). The results showed that the perceived mean is less than the expected mean for all attributes except for 'fish feeding activity'. Over sixty eight percent were satisfied with the environmental service quality offered by the Marine Park, but several issues need to be managed by the Marine Park Department. Suggestions, such as limiting the number of visitors to the park, improving public...
ABSTRACT The inscription ‘World Heritage City’ bestowed upon George Town (Penang) and Melaka has ... more ABSTRACT The inscription ‘World Heritage City’ bestowed upon George Town (Penang) and Melaka has pinned Malaysia on the global tourism map. Both cities, since their acknowledgement, have been receiving a burgeoning number of tourists, diversification of motivation, and commercial landscape mushrooming within these inner cities. While some may have successfully retained their original form, many heritage buildings have been readapted to cater for other commercial demands. Plenty of heritage buildings have been turned into cafes, museums, and even boutique hotels to cater to tourist needs. Taking George Town as a case study, this study adopted the qualitative approach to assessing the stage of commodification based on the application of Creative Destruction Model (CDM). Data analyses on tourist arrivals, tourism investment, and resident attitudes revealed that this destination lies in the stage of pre-advanced commodification, which refers to a newly proposed stage of commodification to fit the characteristic of the study area. Model modification is required to suit the characteristics of a heritage destination in Malaysia.
PLANNING MALAYSIA: Journal of the Malaysian Institute of Planners, 2018
Waterfront development emerged as one of the important issues of urban design and planning since ... more Waterfront development emerged as one of the important issues of urban design and planning since it provides an opportunity to improve social well-being, economic development and physical setting of a city. In recent decades, many waterfronts have experienced reorientation from brownfield to commercial, residential and recreational areas. Many early cities are located close to water bodies due to water being a form of transportation. However, the advancement of modern infrastructures such as roadways and increased modes of transportation has moved the central business district into inner lands. This has left many old city centres suffering economic depression, losing their local identity as people moved to other places, and eventually facing abandonment. In this case, tourism is seen as a panacea to help revitalizing those areas. This paper seeks to address the evolution of historic waterfront at World Heritage Sites in Malaysia, from the perspective of tourism development. By using evolutionary analysis based on previous resources and maps, it demonstrates that government development agencies and tourism development have been the key agents of change in influencing waterfront redevelopment.
Marine Parks in Malaysia receive almost 7.4 million tourists for the past ten years from all over... more Marine Parks in Malaysia receive almost 7.4 million tourists for the past ten years from all over the world. Continuous growth in the number of tourists and mass tourism has resulted in uncontrolled number of tourists, sometimes surpassing the carrying capacity of the site. Due to the lack of control and enforcement, many tour boat operators are bringing snorkelers to small fragile sites at the same time frame. Such situation has resulted in reduced quality of tourist experience and satisfaction level, among others, as they need to cram in with others at the designated snorkeling areas. Taking Pulau Payar Marine Park for an example, this study evaluates the snorkeling experience of 259 selected respondents in the marine park. The results employed Importance-satisfaction analysis (ISA) and Gap analysis on both satisfaction and importance level. The research result showed that the perceived mean is less than the expected mean for all attributes except for ‘lack of crowd’ and ‘fish feeding activity’. Over sixty eight percent were satisfied with their snorkeling experience but there are several issues need to be managed by the Marine Park Department. Suggestions, such as limiting the number of visitors to the park, improving public facilities and solid waste management of the park to protect the island and its sustainability were introduced. This study highlights the importance of site management in environmentally sensitive areas, for resort and tour operators towards developing better service quality for a better tourist experience.
Due to its popularity and lucrative business opportunity, snorkeling has become the predominant a... more Due to its popularity and lucrative business opportunity, snorkeling has become the predominant activity in many marine parks. Continuous growth in the number of tourists and mass tourism has resulted in uncontrolled number of tourists, sometimes to pass over the carrying capacity of the site. Due to the lack of control and enforcement, many tour boat operators are seen bringing snorkelers to small fragile sites at the same timeframe. Such situation has resulted in reduced quality of tourist experience and satisfaction level as they need to cram in with others at the designated snorkeling areas. This study analyzes the influence of tourist demographic profile on the satisfaction level with snorkeling experience in the Pulau Payar Marine Park, a small coral island in Malaysia. A total of 259 snorkelers answered the survey that forms the basis of this paper. The results tested using t-tests and ANOVA, show significant differences between satisfaction level and respondents’ socio-demographic characteristics. Findings of the study indicated that only origin and education level positively associated with visitor satisfaction. Several issues, such as limiting the numbers of boats to be allowed at the site and facilities management such as toilets, changing rooms and solid waste management were among issues need to be considered by the Marine Park Department, in order to protect the island and its sustainability. This study highlights the importance of site management, in environmentally sensitive areas, for marine park managers and tour operators toward developing strategic marketing mixes for the different market segments.
Snorkeling activity is an alternative interest that allows tourists to enjoy the beauty of the oc... more Snorkeling activity is an alternative interest that allows tourists to enjoy the beauty of the oceanic creatures and has now become an important business to tour operators. As in Redang Island, many hotels and tour operators offer unlimited snorkeling trips during day time resulting in overcrowding of tourists at the snorkeling areas. Nevertheless, the snorkeling trips are seen as a profitable business. Tourists from a resort usually leave at simultaneously in 3 to 4 boats to quite small snorkeling areas. Such situation has lessened the quality of tourist’s experience and satisfaction level since they need to cram with others to swim at the designated snorkeling areas. This paper reviews suitable sustainable attributes in nature based tourism destination. The attributes are derived from the studies by previous researchers. The analysis of antecedents (service quality and image) of tourist satisfaction provides insights in the process of satisfaction while the outcome constructs (loyalty and complaint behavior) present the consequences of dissatisfaction. The results of continuous monitoring of tourist satisfaction serve as a basis and strategic discussion in developing tourist destinations. Economic valuation, local participation and policy analysis are directions in future reef studies in Malaysia islands. There is a need to a better control and implementation of a sustainable green economy to ensure Malaysia islands stay competitive with other islands from neighbouring countries. Otherwise, island tourism in Malaysia will slowly deteriorate and gradually lose its attraction.
Purpose – This study aims to examine the relationship between recreation specialization and diver... more Purpose – This study aims to examine the relationship between recreation specialization and diver’s underwater behavior in Perhentian Island. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected using a pilot survey on 50 divers in Perhentian Island. In-depth interviews with several dive operators were also conducted to support the findings. Findings – Specialized divers tend to recognize unacceptable behavior rather than less specialized divers. Skilled specialized divers tend not to touch the reefs and not to collect dead pieces of the corals compared to less skilled divers. Practical implications – Specialization and skills of divers can be used as an input to study diver underwater behavior while simultaneously providing insights on coral preservation. Originality/value – It is important to manage diver behavior as there are now several diving operators who offer unlimited diving packages catering to day and night diving from shore. Divers can minimize their impacts by practicing responsible diving behavior. Measures emanating from this study on diver underwater behavior may be implemented to encourage responsible scuba diving activity among divers and ensure longevity of the coral reefs. Keywords- Scuba diving, Recreation specialization, Divers, Diving skills, Underwater behavior, Coral reefs, Conservation, Malaysia Paper type- Research paper
Appropriate interpretations and quality of tourists’ experience in historical cities is crucial i... more Appropriate interpretations and quality of tourists’ experience in historical cities is crucial in ensuring revisit by historic tourists. This research explores the ability and readiness of rickshaw pullers as informal tourist interpreters in helping to enhance the quality of tourists’ experience in Malacca. This study intends to identify whether the nature of tourist guide suit the characteristics of rickshaw pullers to become a good informal tourist interpreter. Data collection involved survey among 250 registered rickshaw pullers from four trishaw associations. This study has indicated the path traveled by the rickshaw pullers around Malacca. Result from the analysis has produced several maps such as trishaw trail and food trail suggested by the respondents to the tourists. Based on the findings, most of the respondents suit the characteristic of tourist guide and ready to become an informal interpreter. Several suggestions have been made to improve their skills in becoming a good informal tourist interpreter which include attending self improvement courses and enhancing their communication skills. Implication of this study will contribute to the development of tourism industry especially in heritage and food tourism while improving the quality of tourists’ experience in the historical cities.
Appropriate interpretations and quality of tourists’ experience in historical cities is crucial i... more Appropriate interpretations and quality of tourists’ experience in historical cities is crucial in ensuring revisit by historic tourists. This research explores the ability and readiness of rickshaw pullers as informal tourist interpreters in helping to enhance the quality of tourists’ experience in Malacca. This study intends to identify whether the nature of tourist guide suit the characteristics of rickshaw pullers to become a good informal tourist interpreter. Data collection involved survey among 250 registered rickshaw pullers from four trishaw associations. This study has indicated the path traveled by the rickshaw pullers around Malacca. Result from the analysis has produced several maps such as trishaw trail and food trail suggested by the respondents to the tourists. Based on the findings, most of the respondents suit the characteristic of tourist guide and ready to become an informal interpreter. Several suggestions have been made to improve their skills in becoming a good informal tourist interpreter which include attending self improvement courses and enhancing their communication skills. Implication of this study will contribute to the development of tourism industry especially in heritage and food tourism while improving the quality of tourists’ experience in the historical cities.
Waterfront development emerged as one of the important issues of urban design and planning since ... more Waterfront development emerged as one of the important issues of urban design and planning since it provides an opportunity to improve social well-being, economic development and physical setting of a city. In recent decades, many waterfronts have experienced reorientation from brownfield to commercial, residential and recreational areas. Many early cities are located close to water bodies due to water being a form of transportation. However, the advancement of modern infrastructures such as roadways and increased modes of transportation has moved the central business district into inner lands. This has left many old city centres suffering economic depression, losing their local identity as people moved to other places, and eventually facing abandonment. In this case, tourism is seen as a panacea to help revitalizing those areas. This paper seeks to address the evolution of historic waterfront at World Heritage Sites in Malaysia, from the perspective of tourism development. By using...
PurposeThis study aims to examine the relationship between recreation specialization and diver... more PurposeThis study aims to examine the relationship between recreation specialization and diver's underwater behavior in Perhentian Island.Design/methodology/approachData were collected using a pilot survey on 50 divers in Perhentian Island. In‐depth interviews with several dive operators were also conducted to support the findings.FindingsSpecialized divers tend to recognize unacceptable behavior rather than less specialized divers. Skilled specialized divers tend not to touch the reefs and not to collect dead pieces of the corals compared to less skilled divers.Practical implicationsSpecialization and skills of divers can be used as an input to study diver underwater behavior while simultaneously providing insights on coral preservation.Originality/valueIt is important to manage diver behavior as there are now several diving operators who offer unlimited diving packages catering to day and night diving from shore. Divers can minimize their impacts by practicing responsible divi...
The quality and quantity of lodging supply are critical factors in determining tourism success in... more The quality and quantity of lodging supply are critical factors in determining tourism success in any tourist destinations. In Malaysia, the development of tourist accommodations has been based on speculation due to lack of reliable data to support feasibility study and realistic trend analyses. One of the top destinations in Malaysia is highland areas as tourists can enjoy beautiful scenery view from the hill top with its cold breezy fresh air. Over the years, tourist arrivals to highland areas increased up near to 8 million tourists every year, forcing the potential stakeholders to invest and develop more lodgings, facilities and proper infrastructures to cater tourists' needs. In achieving sustainability of tourism development, developers sometimes pay no heed to the planning guidelines as they are too eager about profit and investment of the development. Carrying capacity is one of the planning tools to measure sustainable development. Uncontrolled development has resulted a...
Due to its popularity and lucrative business opportunity, snorkeling has become the predominant a... more Due to its popularity and lucrative business opportunity, snorkeling has become the predominant activity in many marine parks. Continuous growth in the number of tourists and mass tourism has resulted in uncontrolled number of tourists, sometimes to pass over the carrying capacity of the site. Due to the lack of control and enforcement, many tour boat operators are seen bringing snorkelers to small fragile sites at the same timeframe. Such situation has resulted in reduced quality of tourist experience and satisfaction level as they need to cram in with others at the designated snorkeling areas. This study analyzes the influence of tourist demographic profile on the satisfaction level with snorkeling experience in the Pulau Payar Marine Park, a small coral island in Malaysia. A total of 259 snorkelers answered the survey that forms the basis of this paper. The results tested using t-tests and ANOVA, show significant differences between satisfaction level and respondents’ socio-demog...
The Ferringhi beach in Penang (Malaysia) is one of main attractions in the country that attracts ... more The Ferringhi beach in Penang (Malaysia) is one of main attractions in the country that attracts both local and international tourists. The beach is also a popular weekend spot for recreational activities among Penangites as well as excursionists from nearby states. The growth of hotels, apartments and second homes along the five kilometers stretch has reduced the much-needed public beach spaces for the general public. Some of the popular beach spots become the target of various passive activities such as sun bathing, jogging, swimming, and picnicking. But, due to the concentration of visitors, the same spots also host some active activities such as horse riding, parasailing, and speed boating. The interlocking of these passive and active activities, without proper guidelines and zoning, has created serious problems and sometime, dire consequences, which sometimes include fatalities. By employing a selected risk assessment method or model, this paper reports on an assessment of the ...
Continuous growth in the number of tourists at the Marine Parks in Malaysia has resulted in uncon... more Continuous growth in the number of tourists at the Marine Parks in Malaysia has resulted in uncontrolled number of tourists, sometimes surpassing the carrying capacity of the site. Such situation has resulted in reduced quality of visitor experience and satisfaction level at the Marine Parks. By taking Pulau Payar Marine Park as an example, this study aims to evaluate snorkeling satisfaction on 259 selected respondents at the marine park. The measurement of snorkeling satisfaction is based on the mean analysis, i.e. the importance mean (expected mean) and the satisfaction mean (perceived mean). The results showed that the perceived mean is less than the expected mean for all attributes except for ‘fish feeding activity’. Over sixty eight percent were satisfied with the environmental service quality offered by the Marine Park, but several issues need to be managed by the Marine Park Department. Suggestions, such as limiting the number of visitors to the park, improving public facilit...
Historical preservation is important to protect significant historic resources from destruction a... more Historical preservation is important to protect significant historic resources from destruction and inappropriate changes. Urban waterfronts are unique cultural resources that have its own identity, represent the lifestyle of surrounding communities. Over the years, the activities along the waterfront have changed along with city development, resulting in the loss of sense of place. In recent years, the agenda of preservation the cultural value of waterfront areas has been a research focus among the civil society and NGOs. However, in the midst of rapid development, this aspect is often overlooked and deteriorates the historical values of the place. At the same time, the quality of life of waterfront communities is also affected. This conceptual paper is a call for a set of actions to ensure that historical values at these places are protected. Through content analysis from previous literature reviews, this paper investigates how regeneration of historic waterfronts can help in pres...
Continuous growth in the number of tourists at the Marine Parks in Malaysia has resulted in uncon... more Continuous growth in the number of tourists at the Marine Parks in Malaysia has resulted in uncontrolled number of tourists, sometimes surpassing the carrying capacity of the site. Such situation has resulted in reduced quality of visitor experience and satisfaction level at the Marine Parks. By taking Pulau Payar Marine Park as an example, this study aims to evaluate snorkeling satisfaction on 259 selected respondents at the marine park. The measurement of snorkeling satisfaction is based on the mean analysis, i.e. the importance mean (expected mean) and the satisfaction mean (perceived mean). The results showed that the perceived mean is less than the expected mean for all attributes except for 'fish feeding activity'. Over sixty eight percent were satisfied with the environmental service quality offered by the Marine Park, but several issues need to be managed by the Marine Park Department. Suggestions, such as limiting the number of visitors to the park, improving public...
ABSTRACT The inscription ‘World Heritage City’ bestowed upon George Town (Penang) and Melaka has ... more ABSTRACT The inscription ‘World Heritage City’ bestowed upon George Town (Penang) and Melaka has pinned Malaysia on the global tourism map. Both cities, since their acknowledgement, have been receiving a burgeoning number of tourists, diversification of motivation, and commercial landscape mushrooming within these inner cities. While some may have successfully retained their original form, many heritage buildings have been readapted to cater for other commercial demands. Plenty of heritage buildings have been turned into cafes, museums, and even boutique hotels to cater to tourist needs. Taking George Town as a case study, this study adopted the qualitative approach to assessing the stage of commodification based on the application of Creative Destruction Model (CDM). Data analyses on tourist arrivals, tourism investment, and resident attitudes revealed that this destination lies in the stage of pre-advanced commodification, which refers to a newly proposed stage of commodification to fit the characteristic of the study area. Model modification is required to suit the characteristics of a heritage destination in Malaysia.
PLANNING MALAYSIA: Journal of the Malaysian Institute of Planners, 2018
Waterfront development emerged as one of the important issues of urban design and planning since ... more Waterfront development emerged as one of the important issues of urban design and planning since it provides an opportunity to improve social well-being, economic development and physical setting of a city. In recent decades, many waterfronts have experienced reorientation from brownfield to commercial, residential and recreational areas. Many early cities are located close to water bodies due to water being a form of transportation. However, the advancement of modern infrastructures such as roadways and increased modes of transportation has moved the central business district into inner lands. This has left many old city centres suffering economic depression, losing their local identity as people moved to other places, and eventually facing abandonment. In this case, tourism is seen as a panacea to help revitalizing those areas. This paper seeks to address the evolution of historic waterfront at World Heritage Sites in Malaysia, from the perspective of tourism development. By using evolutionary analysis based on previous resources and maps, it demonstrates that government development agencies and tourism development have been the key agents of change in influencing waterfront redevelopment.
Marine Parks in Malaysia receive almost 7.4 million tourists for the past ten years from all over... more Marine Parks in Malaysia receive almost 7.4 million tourists for the past ten years from all over the world. Continuous growth in the number of tourists and mass tourism has resulted in uncontrolled number of tourists, sometimes surpassing the carrying capacity of the site. Due to the lack of control and enforcement, many tour boat operators are bringing snorkelers to small fragile sites at the same time frame. Such situation has resulted in reduced quality of tourist experience and satisfaction level, among others, as they need to cram in with others at the designated snorkeling areas. Taking Pulau Payar Marine Park for an example, this study evaluates the snorkeling experience of 259 selected respondents in the marine park. The results employed Importance-satisfaction analysis (ISA) and Gap analysis on both satisfaction and importance level. The research result showed that the perceived mean is less than the expected mean for all attributes except for ‘lack of crowd’ and ‘fish feeding activity’. Over sixty eight percent were satisfied with their snorkeling experience but there are several issues need to be managed by the Marine Park Department. Suggestions, such as limiting the number of visitors to the park, improving public facilities and solid waste management of the park to protect the island and its sustainability were introduced. This study highlights the importance of site management in environmentally sensitive areas, for resort and tour operators towards developing better service quality for a better tourist experience.
Due to its popularity and lucrative business opportunity, snorkeling has become the predominant a... more Due to its popularity and lucrative business opportunity, snorkeling has become the predominant activity in many marine parks. Continuous growth in the number of tourists and mass tourism has resulted in uncontrolled number of tourists, sometimes to pass over the carrying capacity of the site. Due to the lack of control and enforcement, many tour boat operators are seen bringing snorkelers to small fragile sites at the same timeframe. Such situation has resulted in reduced quality of tourist experience and satisfaction level as they need to cram in with others at the designated snorkeling areas. This study analyzes the influence of tourist demographic profile on the satisfaction level with snorkeling experience in the Pulau Payar Marine Park, a small coral island in Malaysia. A total of 259 snorkelers answered the survey that forms the basis of this paper. The results tested using t-tests and ANOVA, show significant differences between satisfaction level and respondents’ socio-demographic characteristics. Findings of the study indicated that only origin and education level positively associated with visitor satisfaction. Several issues, such as limiting the numbers of boats to be allowed at the site and facilities management such as toilets, changing rooms and solid waste management were among issues need to be considered by the Marine Park Department, in order to protect the island and its sustainability. This study highlights the importance of site management, in environmentally sensitive areas, for marine park managers and tour operators toward developing strategic marketing mixes for the different market segments.
Snorkeling activity is an alternative interest that allows tourists to enjoy the beauty of the oc... more Snorkeling activity is an alternative interest that allows tourists to enjoy the beauty of the oceanic creatures and has now become an important business to tour operators. As in Redang Island, many hotels and tour operators offer unlimited snorkeling trips during day time resulting in overcrowding of tourists at the snorkeling areas. Nevertheless, the snorkeling trips are seen as a profitable business. Tourists from a resort usually leave at simultaneously in 3 to 4 boats to quite small snorkeling areas. Such situation has lessened the quality of tourist’s experience and satisfaction level since they need to cram with others to swim at the designated snorkeling areas. This paper reviews suitable sustainable attributes in nature based tourism destination. The attributes are derived from the studies by previous researchers. The analysis of antecedents (service quality and image) of tourist satisfaction provides insights in the process of satisfaction while the outcome constructs (loyalty and complaint behavior) present the consequences of dissatisfaction. The results of continuous monitoring of tourist satisfaction serve as a basis and strategic discussion in developing tourist destinations. Economic valuation, local participation and policy analysis are directions in future reef studies in Malaysia islands. There is a need to a better control and implementation of a sustainable green economy to ensure Malaysia islands stay competitive with other islands from neighbouring countries. Otherwise, island tourism in Malaysia will slowly deteriorate and gradually lose its attraction.
Purpose – This study aims to examine the relationship between recreation specialization and diver... more Purpose – This study aims to examine the relationship between recreation specialization and diver’s underwater behavior in Perhentian Island. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected using a pilot survey on 50 divers in Perhentian Island. In-depth interviews with several dive operators were also conducted to support the findings. Findings – Specialized divers tend to recognize unacceptable behavior rather than less specialized divers. Skilled specialized divers tend not to touch the reefs and not to collect dead pieces of the corals compared to less skilled divers. Practical implications – Specialization and skills of divers can be used as an input to study diver underwater behavior while simultaneously providing insights on coral preservation. Originality/value – It is important to manage diver behavior as there are now several diving operators who offer unlimited diving packages catering to day and night diving from shore. Divers can minimize their impacts by practicing responsible diving behavior. Measures emanating from this study on diver underwater behavior may be implemented to encourage responsible scuba diving activity among divers and ensure longevity of the coral reefs. Keywords- Scuba diving, Recreation specialization, Divers, Diving skills, Underwater behavior, Coral reefs, Conservation, Malaysia Paper type- Research paper
Appropriate interpretations and quality of tourists’ experience in historical cities is crucial i... more Appropriate interpretations and quality of tourists’ experience in historical cities is crucial in ensuring revisit by historic tourists. This research explores the ability and readiness of rickshaw pullers as informal tourist interpreters in helping to enhance the quality of tourists’ experience in Malacca. This study intends to identify whether the nature of tourist guide suit the characteristics of rickshaw pullers to become a good informal tourist interpreter. Data collection involved survey among 250 registered rickshaw pullers from four trishaw associations. This study has indicated the path traveled by the rickshaw pullers around Malacca. Result from the analysis has produced several maps such as trishaw trail and food trail suggested by the respondents to the tourists. Based on the findings, most of the respondents suit the characteristic of tourist guide and ready to become an informal interpreter. Several suggestions have been made to improve their skills in becoming a good informal tourist interpreter which include attending self improvement courses and enhancing their communication skills. Implication of this study will contribute to the development of tourism industry especially in heritage and food tourism while improving the quality of tourists’ experience in the historical cities.
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Papers by Nurbaidura Salim
Island, many hotels and tour operators offer unlimited snorkeling trips during day time resulting in overcrowding of tourists at the snorkeling areas. Nevertheless, the snorkeling
trips are seen as a profitable business. Tourists from a resort usually leave at simultaneously in 3 to 4 boats to quite small snorkeling areas. Such situation has lessened the quality of
tourist’s experience and satisfaction level since they need to cram with others to swim at the designated snorkeling areas. This paper reviews suitable sustainable attributes in nature based tourism destination. The attributes are derived from the studies by previous researchers. The analysis of antecedents (service quality and image) of tourist satisfaction provides insights in the process of satisfaction while the outcome constructs (loyalty and complaint behavior) present the consequences of dissatisfaction. The results of continuous
monitoring of tourist satisfaction serve as a basis and strategic discussion in developing tourist destinations. Economic valuation, local participation and policy analysis are directions
in future reef studies in Malaysia islands. There is a need to a better control and implementation of a sustainable green economy to ensure Malaysia islands stay competitive with other islands from neighbouring countries. Otherwise, island tourism in Malaysia will slowly deteriorate and gradually lose its attraction.
Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected using a pilot survey on 50 divers in Perhentian
Island. In-depth interviews with several dive operators were also conducted to support the findings.
Findings – Specialized divers tend to recognize unacceptable behavior rather than less specialized divers. Skilled specialized divers tend not to touch the reefs and not to collect dead pieces of the corals compared to less skilled divers.
Practical implications – Specialization and skills of divers can be used as an input to study diver underwater behavior while simultaneously providing insights on coral preservation.
Originality/value – It is important to manage diver behavior as there are now several diving operators who offer unlimited diving packages catering to day and night diving from shore. Divers can minimize their impacts by practicing responsible diving behavior. Measures emanating from this study on diver underwater behavior may be implemented to encourage responsible scuba diving activity among divers and ensure longevity of the coral reefs.
Keywords- Scuba diving, Recreation specialization, Divers, Diving skills, Underwater behavior, Coral reefs, Conservation, Malaysia
Paper type- Research paper
suit the characteristics of rickshaw pullers to become a good informal tourist interpreter. Data collection involved survey among 250 registered rickshaw pullers from four trishaw associations. This study has indicated the path traveled by the rickshaw pullers around Malacca. Result from the analysis has produced several maps such as trishaw trail and food trail
suggested by the respondents to the tourists. Based on the findings, most of the respondents suit the characteristic of tourist guide and ready to become an informal interpreter. Several suggestions have been made to improve their skills in becoming a good informal tourist interpreter which include attending self improvement courses and enhancing their
communication skills. Implication of this study will contribute to the development of tourism industry especially in heritage and food tourism while improving the quality of tourists’ experience in the historical cities.
Island, many hotels and tour operators offer unlimited snorkeling trips during day time resulting in overcrowding of tourists at the snorkeling areas. Nevertheless, the snorkeling
trips are seen as a profitable business. Tourists from a resort usually leave at simultaneously in 3 to 4 boats to quite small snorkeling areas. Such situation has lessened the quality of
tourist’s experience and satisfaction level since they need to cram with others to swim at the designated snorkeling areas. This paper reviews suitable sustainable attributes in nature based tourism destination. The attributes are derived from the studies by previous researchers. The analysis of antecedents (service quality and image) of tourist satisfaction provides insights in the process of satisfaction while the outcome constructs (loyalty and complaint behavior) present the consequences of dissatisfaction. The results of continuous
monitoring of tourist satisfaction serve as a basis and strategic discussion in developing tourist destinations. Economic valuation, local participation and policy analysis are directions
in future reef studies in Malaysia islands. There is a need to a better control and implementation of a sustainable green economy to ensure Malaysia islands stay competitive with other islands from neighbouring countries. Otherwise, island tourism in Malaysia will slowly deteriorate and gradually lose its attraction.
Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected using a pilot survey on 50 divers in Perhentian
Island. In-depth interviews with several dive operators were also conducted to support the findings.
Findings – Specialized divers tend to recognize unacceptable behavior rather than less specialized divers. Skilled specialized divers tend not to touch the reefs and not to collect dead pieces of the corals compared to less skilled divers.
Practical implications – Specialization and skills of divers can be used as an input to study diver underwater behavior while simultaneously providing insights on coral preservation.
Originality/value – It is important to manage diver behavior as there are now several diving operators who offer unlimited diving packages catering to day and night diving from shore. Divers can minimize their impacts by practicing responsible diving behavior. Measures emanating from this study on diver underwater behavior may be implemented to encourage responsible scuba diving activity among divers and ensure longevity of the coral reefs.
Keywords- Scuba diving, Recreation specialization, Divers, Diving skills, Underwater behavior, Coral reefs, Conservation, Malaysia
Paper type- Research paper
suit the characteristics of rickshaw pullers to become a good informal tourist interpreter. Data collection involved survey among 250 registered rickshaw pullers from four trishaw associations. This study has indicated the path traveled by the rickshaw pullers around Malacca. Result from the analysis has produced several maps such as trishaw trail and food trail
suggested by the respondents to the tourists. Based on the findings, most of the respondents suit the characteristic of tourist guide and ready to become an informal interpreter. Several suggestions have been made to improve their skills in becoming a good informal tourist interpreter which include attending self improvement courses and enhancing their
communication skills. Implication of this study will contribute to the development of tourism industry especially in heritage and food tourism while improving the quality of tourists’ experience in the historical cities.