Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Community-based rural tourism as a sustainable development
rural homestay programmes in Malaysia
K. Kayat, R. Ramli, M. Mat-Kasim & R. Abdul-Razak
Universiti Utara Malaysia, Kedah, Malaysia
ABSTRACT: For Community-Based Tourism (CBT) to be accepted as an alternative to sustain-
able development, it should mirror the characteristics that signify a community in a rural area working
together to plan, operate and manage tourism businesses that both satisfy the visitors and develop the
people and the place where the community live in. CBT that achieve these two goals will succeed in
becoming a sustainable development alternative. This paper explored the required criteria for a successful
Community-Based Rural Homestay (CBRH) programmmes in Malaysia from the perspectives of differ-
ent individuals who are familiar with the CBRH programmes through a case study. As a CBT product, the
CBRH programmes have been well imaged, commoditized, and packaged to tap the rural tourism poten-
tial of Malaysia. The identification of the CBRH programmes success factors is of critical importance for
the notion of sustainable development alternatives through tourism.
Keywords
:
Community-based rural tourism, sustainable development, homestay programmes, success
factor
1 INTRODUCTION
Thus, tourism is beneficial to both the tourists and
the local community as it allows them to experi-
ence other cultures, which broadens understanding
among citizens of the world.
However, mere statistics reflecting the growth
of income and wealth spurred by tourism is not
enough to qualify tourism as an important con-
tributor to the development of a host community.
Mundt (2011) argues that too much concern with
numbers, which is the basic tenet of the concept of
growth, can actually lead to destructions. A devel-
opment agenda must also cultivate the minds and
increase the capacity and capability of the people
within the community to continue thriving. Tour-
ism development must 'develop' the economic
capability and knowledge of the receiving residents
in order to create economic sustainability. Income
generated from tourism should ideally be used
at the national and local level to support educa-
tion, improve infrastructure, finance conservation
efforts, and to foster more responsible tourism. In
that way, tourism is allowed to become a crucial
strategy for sustainable development. Sustainable
tourism strives to reduce economic leakages and
increase economic linkages as well as to conserve
the environment through effective energy use. In
addition, sustainable tourism requires respect
for local culture and involvement of local com-
munity in tourism development, planning and
1.1
Tourism and sustainable development
The importance of tourism lies in its contribution
to the global citizens' economic and social stand-
ards. Two broad groups of beneficiaries from tour-
ism are the tourists and the hosts. Tourists receive
psychological benefits as an exchange for the price
they pay to travel and visit the destinations of their
choice. Tourism generates important benefits to
the hosts as well; it produces earning opportunities
and enables them to increase their income sources
(Samimi, Sadeghi & Sadeghi, 2011). Employment
created by tourism also contributes to poverty
alleviation which leads the hosts to a better wel-
fare and quality of life (Manyara & Jones, 2007).
Additionally, there are empirical evidences that
tourism expansion is relevant and significant to the
nations' growth and economic development. Fay-
issa, Nsiah, and Tadasse (2008) for instance, found
that a 10 percent increase in the spending of inter-
national tourists leads to a 0.4 percent increase in
the GDP per capita income in African countries.
Finally, tourism develops a nation further through
modernization—for example, tourism brings about
higher levels of employment and literacy, improve-
ment in medical services, as well as wider access
to other elements related to comfort and security.
Search WWH ::
Custom Search