The Perception of Intangible Digital Tourism Heritage towards the Development of Collaborative Heritage Digital Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR 4.0) Model

Abstract

Cross-border digital tourism is possible, and international cooperation has been expanding recently. Performance in the tourism sector makes up a significant portion of Malaysia's service economy (The World Factbook, 2019). Malaysia experienced an economic crisis in 2021, which has an impact on the tourism industry. Additionally, according to data from the Ministry of Tourism, the number of visitors decline by 1.5% in March 2020. The most crucial aspects of the performance of the tourism industry, such as Intangible Cultural Heritage, will be evaluated by the model definition. This study will improvise the model by including digital viewpoints by using the hybridization technique. The preservation of intangible cultural assets is important for the economy. Therefore, safety precautions must be taken. Unfortunately, among all agendas in 21 Action Plans, none of it mentions digital heritage tourism. Therefore, participation in safeguarding efforts from society, the populace, and, when appropriate, those who are descendants of such legacy is always required. To sum up, intangible cultural heritages build links between the past, present, and future; they maintain continuity; and they alter the social structure as a result of experiences. Hence, the main objective of this study is to adopt a new Heritage Digital Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR 4.0) Model for National Ecotourism Plan. The findings will help the government in updating the National Ecotourism Plan under NKEAs. Lastly, it will guide the government by understanding the important need of visitors and it can apply to other heritages sites in Malaysia.