SOCIAL IMPACT OF AGRO-TOURISM ON LOCAL URBAN RESIDENTS. CASE STUDY: CAMERON HIGHLANDS, MALAYSIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v15i2.267Keywords:
Agro-tourism, impact, migration, opportunity, socialAbstract
Agro-tourism is a new tourism product introduced in Malaysia based on agricultural attraction. Cameron Highlands is the largest agricultural based highland resort area in Malaysia. The cool climate, farms, and natural environment make Cameron Highlands a famous tourist destination. Agrotourism has become one of the important economic sectors in Cameron Highlands. The study is aimed to examine the social impact of the agro-tourism industry on the local urban residents in Cameron Highlands. A questionnaire survey was carried out among the local urban residents to examine the social impact based on the respondents’ experience and perceptions. A sample of 100 respondents were selected from three main urban settlements in Cameron Highlands. The social impacts were analysed based on the changes over the period of five (5) years. The study covered four (4) main aspects, i.e. safety, job and business opportunity, migration, and social-cultural (language, religious and educational level). The findings indicate that the local urban residents were positively and also negatively affected by the agro-tourism activities and development in Cameron Highlands. Proper planning and policies are crucial to manage the agro-tourism and related development in Cameron Highlands.Downloads
References
Athanasopoulou, A. (2013). Tourism as a driver of economic growth and development in the EU-27 and ASEAN regions. Research Brief. The European Union Centre in Singapore.
Berita Harian (2013, October 23). Banj ir di Cameron Highlands - 2 maut, seorang hilang. Berita Harian.
Bott-Alama, A. (2003, June). The economic and social benefits of rural tourism development in Poland. Seminar on Rural Tourism in Europe: Pathway to Sustainable Development, Kielce, Poland.
Brinkhoff, T. (2013). City population. Retrieved from www.citypopulation.de.
Burny, P. (2008). The economic, social and ecologic impact of the tourism in the Vatra Dornei Area. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Ecological Performance in a Competitive Economy (Volume II), Bucharest.
Cameron Highlands District Council (2014). Map of Cameron Highland.
Chou, M. C. (2013). Does tourism development promote economic growth in transition countries? A panel data analysis. Economic Modelling, 33, 226-232.
Department of Statistics [DOS] (2014). Migration and population distribution 2010. Putrajaya, Malaysia.
Economic Planning Unit [EPU] (2013). National Agrofood Policy (2011-2020), Prime Minister’s Department, Putrajaya, Malaysia.
Federal Department of Town and Country Planning, Peninsular Malaysia [JPBD] (2014). Unpublished data on population of Cameron Highland.
Hamzah, A., Md. Yassin, S., Abu Samah, B., D’Silva, J. L., Tiraiyaei, N., Mohamed Shaffril, H. A., & Uli, J. (2011). Socio-economic impact potential of agro tourism activities on Desa Wawasan Nelayan community living in Peninsular Malaysia. African Journal of Agricultural Research, 7(32), 4581-4588.
Kunasekaran, P., Ramachandran, S. Samdin, Z. & Awang K. W., (2012). Factors affecting farmers’ agro tourism involvement in Cameron Highlands, Pahang. OIDA International Journal of Sustainable Development, 4(1), 83-90.
Lickorish, J. L. (1994). Developing tourism destinations policies and perspectives. Harlow, Essex: Longman.
Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute [MARDI] (2012).
Annual Report 2012, Malaysia.
Manzor, Z. (2009). Kesesakan jejas imej Cameron Highlands. Utusan Online. Retrieved from http://ww1.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2009&dt=0110&pub=Ut usan_Malaysia&sec=Timur&pg=wt_04.htm
Mason, P. (1995). Tourism: environment and development perspectives. United Kingdom. World Wide Fund for Nature.
Mason, P. (2008). Tourism impacts, planning and management. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Mohamed Shaffril, H. A., Hamzah, A., Md. Yassin, S., Abu Samah, B., D’Silva, J.L., Tiraiyaei, N., & Muhammad, M. (2015). The coastal community perception on the socio-economic impacts of agro-tourism activities in coastal villages in Malaysia. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 20(3), 295-313.
Mohd Ariffin, A. R., Md Ali, Z., Zainol, R., Rahman, S., Ang, K. H. & Sabran, N. (2014). Sustainable highland development through stakeholders’ perceptions on agro eco-tourism in Cameron Highlands: a preliminary finding. SHS Web of Conferences 12. Retrieved from https://www.shs-conferences.org/articles/shsconf/abs/2014/09/shsconf_4ictr2014_01086 /shsconf_4ictr2014_01086.html
Mohd Atar, N. (2013, March 11). Curi motosikal jenayah terancang. Sinar Harian. Retrieved from http://www.sinarharian.com.my/mobile/semasa/curi-motosikal-jenayah-terancang-1.138371
Pearce, D. (1987). Tourism Development, 2nd ed., Harlow: Longman Scientific and Technical.
Por, C. H. (2001). Unsur-unsur teori ekonomi. Kuala Lumpur: Fajar Bakti.
Risso, W. A., & Brida, J. G. (2009). The contribution of tourism to economic growth: an empirical analysis for the case of Chile. European Journal of Tourism Research, 2(2), 178-185.
Sayed Idris, S. H. (2014, November 10). Imigresen gempur PATI di Cameron Highlands. Utusan Malaysia. Retrieved from http://www.utusan.com.my/berita/nasional/imigresen-gempur-pati-8232-di-cameron-highlands-1.23027
Utusan Online (2014, November 7). Rasuah mungkin punca Cameron Highlands dipenuhi pendatang asing. Utusan Online. Retrieved from http://www.utusan.com.my/berita/nasional/rasuah-mungkin-punca-cameron-8232-highlands-dipenuhi-pendatang-asing-1.21716.
Wojciechowska, J. (2014). A summary assessment of the agritourism experience in Poland. Revista de Turismoy Patrimonio Cultural, 12(3), 565-579.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright & Creative Commons Licence
eISSN: 0128-0945 © Year. The Authors. Published for Malaysia Institute of Planners. This is an open-access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license.
The authors hold the copyright without restrictions and also retain publishing rights without restrictions.
