Publications

Abstract : With the growth of global tourism industry, the heritage tourism industry is expanding worldwide. Malaysia having George Town, Penang and Malacca which are listed on 7 July 2008 in UNESCO World Heritage and has been successfully generated high tourist influx. Yet, the local stakeholders are facing continued challenges in the context of tourism development. The present study explores an understanding whether the residents’ support on tourism is solely due to economic benefits, socio-cultural benefits, and environmental benefits. The present study is conducted through online survey on 134 respondents who are residents of Penang of age above 21 years old, resides in Penang for at least one year, married, head of the family and individuals who are experienced the most and also extend support for local tourism developments. The significant findings and results show that the residents of Penang capture favorable image destination and perceived the tourism impacts positively supporting tourism developments to the extent of 66.42%. Secondly, perceived economic and socio-cultural impacts show positive and significant impacts and mediate fully the relationship between residents' place image and support for tourism development. Thus, perceived positive impacts on tourism developments provide more recreational areas like hyper malls, gardens and theme parks. However, perceived environmental impacts mediate negatively the relationship between residents' place image and support for tourism development. The respondents have perceived negative impacts from tourism developments because crowed place destroys the natural environment including the architectures, Infrastructures and air pollution due to the gas emitted by transportation used by visitors. Furthermore, the study reveals that evictions of original tenants and environmental pollution due to tourists’ influx must be prioritized. In order to maintain the tourist attractions, local tourism authority will draw policies to conserve and preserve the highly valued entities in order to sustain them for the longest period possible. Nonetheless, tourism also known to cause pollutions, traffic congestion, crowding, littering and vandalism whereby residents perceives these as negative impacts of tourism towards environment. It is suggested that the tourist influx should be segregated by giving a thorough consideration for the capacity of facilities and infrastructure.