Exploring the Public Participation Practices in Planning for Sustainable Tourism in Malaysia

Abstract

Natural environment in Malaysia has become one of the major attractions for tourists. Participation in recreation and tourism in natural areas can bring many benefits such as family cohesiveness, relaxation, and provide green spaces for people to appreciate the aesthetical values of the park. These activities help to spread the awareness, disperse knowledge, and foster a sense of environmental appreciation. In addition, the development of tourism in these areas provides employment and economic growth of the local community. The increasing popularity of parks and protected areas as tourism destination definitely calls for special attention to its planning and management. It is crucial to ensure planning and development of tourism infrastructures and programs will not create extensive damage to the environment. One principle of sustainable tourism is incorporating public views and ideas through public participation practice. The study explores respondents’ opinions on the current pattern of public participation, with reference to participation in planning for tourism in natural settings. The results indicated some lacking, especially along the overall practice, on the methods used in the drill, the extent of information presented, the opportunity for the public to share views and the thoughtfulness of the public’s opinions in decision-making. These findings encourage for thoughtful consideration by the respected authorities to improve the current practice of public participation and calls for further studies to investigate further on the issue.