102 research outputs found
Dive tourism: transformation and implication on the fisherman community in Mabul Island, Sabah, Malaysia
Tourism developmen in Mabul island began in the early 1990s after discoverery of Sipadan island as one of the leading dive destinations in the world. mabul located next to Sipadan Island, is a tourist destination on the famous scuba diving as muck diving. The diversity of the coastal depths in this islands is a habitat to many unique and exotic species of corals, marine flora and fauna.
Ecotourism development and local community participation: case studies of Batu Puteh and Sukau village in Lower Kinabatangan area of Sabah, Malaysia
The issues of ecotourism development in Malaysia, which could benefit the local communities in remote areas, were rarely mentioned in the federal government’s tourism policies. The issues that were mentioned are often limited to factors such as supplementing income in (eco)tourism activities which was regarded as a priority, but never beyond that. This was the dilemma in the early phase of the implementation in the 1990s of sustainable (eco)tourism development in Malaysia, particularly in the state of Sabah.
This is a qualitative research approach or specifically case study approach based on the critical theory paradigm or perspectives. Two villages were observed in this research: namely Batu Puteh village and Sukau village. These villages are located in the floodplain of Lower Kinabatangan River. This area is an extremely important site for ecotourism in Sabah and/or Malaysia: especially through ecotourists activities such as river boating, jungle trekking and wildlife viewing. The local people generally known as “orang sungai” (the river people) have recently participated in many aspects of ecotourism activities such as tourist guides, conservation volunteers, tourist lodges workers, homestay providers etc. Thus the main issues for these villages are: to what extent does ecotourism development in Batu Puteh and/or Sukau village have positive and negative impacts on the socio-cultural life of the local community? How and why are the local communities involved directly or indirectly in ecotourism development? To what extent has ecotourism development increased the level of participation, and improved the standard of living of the local community? To what extent can ecotourism be considered a potential instrument for rural economic development and/or environmental conservation to achieve sustainable development in the destination areas? These issues will be explored thoroughly in this research
Challenges of community-based homestay programme in Sabah, Malaysia: hopeful or hopeless?
This paper explores the challenges faced by the participants of community-based homestay programme in Dagat Village of Lower Kinabatangan-Segama Wetlands of Sabah, Malaysia. Primary data were gathered through field observation and in-depth interviews conducted with the participants in September 2015 and March 2016. The results of this study revealed that the tourism activities based on homestay programme in Dagat Village have the potential to be developed because of its vast natural resources but it was found that the local community faced many challenges during their homestay operation at the study site, which include lack of infrastructure development, poor promotional activity, lack of trained human resource, safety and security issues, poor local leadership, and lack of tourism management experiences that cause the homestay programme operation to be unsustainable. Therefore, this study recommends the importance of collaboration and partnerships among tourism stakeholders in order to achieve a successful ecotourism development
Exploring potential ecotourism products in Sabah, Malaysia / Velan Kunjuraman and Rosazman Hussin.
In line with the vision of sustainable development goals, ecotourism may be regarded as a tool for human awareness to protect the natural environment and local community development. Since ecotourism relies on natural resources and setting in rural areas, community participation is considered as a viable method to achieve sustainable ecotourism development as well as to enhance local community sustainable livelihoods. This study aims to investigate the potential of ecotourism products in the Ramsar site of the lower Kinabatangan area of Sabah, East Malaysia, as a sustainable livelihood activity for the villagers. The fieldwork was conducted between September to November 2014. This study used multiple data collection methods such as in-depth and focus group interviews, household survey through questionnaire, and field observation in order to support the research findings. There are many potential ecotourism products based on the natural environment that could be developed in the Ramsar site and local participation is vital in the development of the products. Finally, several recommendations to promote the natural attractions along the Ramsar site by relevant stakeholders are highlighted
Ecotourism, local community and partners for wetlands? in the lower Kinabatangan area of Sabah: managing conservation or conflicts?
Scientific research on biodiversity conducted by WWF Malaysia during the 1980s
claimed that the Lower Kinabatangan Floodplain (Wetlands) including Sukau had
the very good potential for ecotourism because it is home to many rare and
endangered species such as orangutan, and the proboscis monkey, Borneo elephants,
birds and reptiles. In the 1990s, an ecotourism project was introduced to
Sukau Village where several private tour operators built tourist lodges along the
Kinabatangan riverbank. Since then, some local people (Orang Sungai) have begun
to participate in tourism activities and services. Many forest areas in this wetland
area (Lower Kinabatangan area) however, were converted into palm oil plantations.
Thus, the main questions in this scenario are to what extent has the Partners for
Wetlands program have impacted the socio-cultural life of the local community, and
what has been the effect on the stakeholder’s activities in this area? To what extent
can ecotourism be considered as a potential instrument for community development
and/or environmental conservation in this wetlands area? Does the Partner for
Wetlands program manage conservation, or does it manage conflict of interests
among the stakeholders in this area
PROMOTING GREEN TOURISM FOR FUTURE SUSTAINABILITY
Green tourism is defined as environmentally friendly tourism activities with various focuses and meanings. In a broad term, green tourism is about being an environmentally friendly tourist or providing environmentally friendly tourist services. The green tourism concept would be highly appealing to tourism enterprises and operators owing to increasing governmental pressure to improve environmental performance by adopting effective and tangible environmental management techniques. Furthermore, achievement and promotion of internationally recognized environmental awards would be instrumental to the tourism enterprises in marketing their services. As a result, many concerned and responsible parties put forward recommendations for green tourism products to regulate tourism’s negative impacts. This conceptual paper attempts to discuss green tourism concept, green tourism certification and its processes as well explain the comparative approaches of green tourism in a few countries. Towards the end, by this green labeling, the industry can legitimately open up new areas for the more discriminating and wider range of the market, and tourists or visitors can enjoy the holiday they want with a clear conscience.green, tourism, certification, sustainability.
Ecotourism and community participation in the homestay programme of Sukau village: long-term or limited benefits?
The homestay programme first launched in 1995 in Temerloh in Pahang as part of a drive to promote ecotourism with community participation has since taken root in many other states. This study examines the impact of the homestay programme in the village of Sukau, 134 km from the city of Sandakan. The homestay programme was launched officially by the Sabah Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment on 9 September 2000 to promote ecotourism and to provide support for rural community development. The programme was introduced in Sukau village in the same year but the participants were only active and ready to receive visitors in 2002. The findings of the research show that a majority of the respondents agree that ecotourism development could offer the villagers economic benefits such as new job opportunities, improved family income, and to some extent an improved standard of living. The findings, however, also indicate that these economic benefits are limited because the vast majority of local people are still not involved in the programme
Measuring Islamic Modernity: Between Positive Alarms or Setbacks for Democracy in Indonesia
Researchers have intensively studied Islamic modernity since the movement has become a reasonably effective tool in mobilizing the masses and seeking political support. Almost 90 percent of Indonesian people are Muslim. The concept of Indonesia in making policies on state issues has resulted in a deadlocked relationship between its people and the concept of a state that tends toward the Dutch colonial nation. Islam is a characteristic of Indonesian society; however, the state does not use the concept in Islam. Hence, the concept of the state not being in line with society has resulted in today’s Indonesian people living full of poverty, even though they live in a country with abundant earth, air, and water wealth, coupled with captivating and unique seas for the world to see. However, how does the modern measure of Islam in Indonesia affect democracy? Using qualitative descriptive research methods with a literature study approach, this study discovered that modern Islam in Indonesia has various motives when viewed from multiple aspects used to describe problems occurring in the past, currently, or projecting issues that will arise in the future as suggestions and constructive criticism. On the one hand, it is a form of community solidarity in mobilizing diverse aspirations for humanitarian aid. Nevertheless, on the other hand, it is ridden by the oligarchs of the political elite to gain votes. Moreover, on the outside, it stretches the actions of Islamic radicalism
Towards a Sustainable Employment Relationship for Public Universities in Malaysia
This paper discusses the workplace partnership practices in Malaysia through the Academic Staff
Associations (AJCC) at a public universities in Malaysia. Extensive literature have argued that workplace
partnership such as the JCC has the capacity to increase job satisfaction, reduce industrial disharmony,
increase organizational commitment and improve employee relations in general. The study is focusing on
two aspects; (i) the importance of workplace partnership mechanism in public universities in Malaysia; and
(ii) the influence of the workplace partnership practice to the organizational decision making in public
universities in Malaysia. This study employs qualitative case studies in which interviews were conducted at
the respective universities. However, the study reveals that a loose partnership arrangement existed between
the Academic JCCs-management and vice versa. This study has established that the desire to move forward
is being felt but still concerned with who is the authority (power). As long as this power issue is the case,
this research argues that the management will continue to make final decisions; thus will preserve its
supremacy as the single authority in public universities in Malaysia. The result warrants some amendments
toward the current policy with regards to the role and function of the Academic JCCs because it is important
for the two parties to work in partnership instead of being treated as separate entities in organizations. This
study recommends a new form of partnership in order for sustainable partnership arrangements for a better
working environment
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