Planning for ecotourism in protected areas of Malaysia: some reflections on current approaches’

Amran Hamzah and Zainab Khalifah and Nor Azina Dahlan and Ahmad Tajuddin Kechik. (2008) Planning for ecotourism in protected areas of Malaysia: some reflections on current approaches’. In: Ecotourism in the IMT-GT region: issues and challenges. Penerbit Universiti Utara Malaysia, Sintok, Kedah, pp. 55-75. ISBN 983-328-2725

Planning for ecotourism in protected areas has always been the subject of contention as to whether a symbiosis between tourism development and the preservation of natural resources is possible. Also known as natural area tourism, this form of niche travel has grown from 2% to 20% of all leisure travel according to the World Tourism Organisation. (WTO). In addition, WTO estimated that natural area tourism is worth about US$ 20 million/year. Planning for natural area tourism in Malaysia is in its infancy in which park planners have been focusing mainly on site planning and management techniques based on Western experiences as their modus operandi. As natural area tourism grows, it can no longer be viewed as a subset of protected area management but as an economically viable tourism business in its own right. This article will present a critique of the approaches used in the planning for ecotourism in protected areas in Malaysia, citing examples from the whole country. Finally, it will suggest alternative ways of conceptualising and approaching the subject, based essentially on a strategic planning perspective.

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Abstract

Planning for ecotourism in protected areas has always been the subject of contention as to whether a symbiosis between tourism development and the preservation of natural resources is possible. Also known as natural area tourism, this form of niche travel has grown from 2% to 20% of all leisure travel according to the World Tourism Organisation. (WTO). In addition, WTO estimated that natural area tourism is worth about US$ 20 million/year. Planning for natural area tourism in Malaysia is in its infancy in which park planners have been focusing mainly on site planning and management techniques based on Western experiences as their modus operandi. As natural area tourism grows, it can no longer be viewed as a subset of protected area management but as an economically viable tourism business in its own right. This article will present a critique of the approaches used in the planning for ecotourism in protected areas in Malaysia, citing examples from the whole country. Finally, it will suggest alternative ways of conceptualising and approaching the subject, based essentially on a strategic planning perspective.

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Item Type:	Book Section
Additional Information:	Available at Perpustakaan Sultan Abdul Samad, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43000 UPM Serdang, Malaysia. G155 M3E19 Call Number
AGROVOC Term:	ecotourism
AGROVOC Term:	biodiversity
AGROVOC Term:	natural resources
AGROVOC Term:	resource management
AGROVOC Term:	environmental impact assessment
AGROVOC Term:	government agencies
AGROVOC Term:	ecologists
AGROVOC Term:	sustainability
Geographical Term:	Malaysia
Depositing User:	Ms. Azariah Hashim
Date Deposited:	07 Oct 2024 00:51
Last Modified:	07 Oct 2024 00:51
URI:	http://webagris.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/624

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