Rural Tourism in Malaysia: A Homestay Program

Yusnita, Yusof and Mohd Shaladdin, Muda (2013) Rural Tourism in Malaysia: A Homestay Program. China-USA Business Review, 12 (3). pp. 300-306. ISSN 1537-1514

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Abstract

Rural tourism has been recognized as an effective catalyst of rural socio-economic redevelopment in many countries. The rise of the rural tourism development was partly due to the increase demand from tourists who want to enjoy natural environment which available in rural setting and cultural heritage which still preserved by local folks. This paper is intended to explore the concept of rural tourism and homestay program establishment in Malaysia in terms of its development, planning, and promotional efforts. Malaysia has embraced rural tourism in an effort to upgrade the economic regeneration in rural areas through tourism activities and products offering. Priorities for the economic upgrading of rural tourism has been given attention in the Ninth Malaysia Plan (2006-2010) and Tenth Malaysia Plan (2011-2015) to reduce poverty among rural communities. One of the rural cultural tourism products is homestay establishment managed by rural local community. This conceptual paper will provide a review of literature consisting of the background, planning, development, and current situation of homestay program as rural tourism product. The homestay program is said to have increase additional household income and promote better awareness for the continued conservation of cultural heritage. Majority of the rural communities involved in tourism to gain its economic benefits since theoretically an increase in income gained from tourism activities will improve their quality of life. The objectives of the paper are to understand the current scenario of rural tourism development in Malaysia particularly homestay program, and to analyse its challenges and issues pertaining to homestay management. The future implications of the research could be the re-assessment of rural tourism policy towards local community, and marketing efforts by tourism key players and related government agencies to upgrade this rural tourism product

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