Adaptive Reuse of Heritage Buildings as Hotel in George Town UNESCO World Heritage Site: Tourism Industry Perspectives

Abstract

Adaptive reuse is changing or modifying the original function to a new one. Usually, it requires some modifications to ensure that the building can meet the requirements of the new building's function. The sustainability of construction gains a lot from the adaptive reuse concept. Many heritage buildings have been adaptively reused for various purposes. However, the adaptive reuse approach to conserving heritage buildings in Malaysia needs to be practised with the right concepts and methods. To succeed in the adaptive reuse concept, various factors such as location, modification, services, promotion, and management must be done correctly. Significant losses can be avoided if the adaptive reuse of the heritage building is well-planned. Adaptive reuse of heritage buildings as a hotel is one of the catalysts in the tourism industry. This research aims to analyse the perspective of hotel guests, especially tourists internationally and locally, on the adaptive reuse of heritage buildings as a hotel in the core and buffer zones of George Town, UNESCO World Heritage City. The questionnaires were distributed to hundred twenty-two (122) respondents, which are hotel guests, to get feedback on their experiences while staying in the hotel with the adaptive reuse concept. The respondents were requested to give feedback on their experiences staying at the hotel using a 5-point Likert scale. The collected data were analysed descriptively. The result shows that the respondent was satisfied with the stayed and experiences in the hotel. Although respondents have a good experience with the stay, there is still a way for improvement. The findings also show that it is essential that the parties involved in the hotel and tourism industry follow the heritage act in adaptive reuse of heritage building practice to make sure that future generations will have the opportunity to see and appreciate heritage buildings in their current form as it was constructed hundreds of years ago.