THE IMPACT OF TOURISM ACTIVITIES ON THE ENVIRONMENT OF MOUNT KINABALU, UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v18i14.841Keywords:
Tourist activities, environmental impacts, Kinabalu Park, Relative Importance Index MethodAbstract
Tourism contributes to the conservation and protection of mountainous areas, and even the characteristics and activities of tourism also affect the environmental sustainability of an area. This study aims to identify tourist characteristics, their opinion towards a sustainable environment, their activities conducted at the park and environmental impacts. Overall, 383 respondents agreed to participate, and the response has been analysed using the relative importance’s of these activities, and environmental impacts were quantified by the relative importance index method. Most of them visited Mount Kinabalu to experience natural sightseeing and hiking activity. Majority of them know environmental concern but feeling that KNP is rather crowded. Overall, the most popular activities were mount climbing and wildlife sightseeing by domestic and international tourist. The result of the study also has shown that noise and air pollution were ranked as the most important environmental impacts factors. Considering mountain tourism is an attraction and contributor to the economy of Sabah, there must be effective preventive measures. Because of that, planning, implementing and strengthening new policies and rules for tourist activities regarding the conservation and protection will help to minimize the impacts of tourism. Through the results of the study using the Relative Importance Index (RII) analysis, it is hoped that it will be able to help provide suggestions and solutions to balance the impacts of tourism in Mount Kinabalu towards sustainability.Downloads
References
Andereck, K. L., Valentine, K. M., Knopf, R. C., and Vogt, C. A. (2005), ‘Residents’ perceptions of community tourism impacts’, Annals of Tourism Research, Vol. 32 No. 4, pp. 1056–1076.
Agyeiwaah, E., McKercher, B., and Suntikul, W. (2017), ‘Identifying core indicators of sustainable tourism: A path forward?’Tourism Management Perspectives, Vol. 24, pp. 26-33.
Adenekan. (2017), ‘Creating sustainable tourism ventures in protected areas: An actor-network theory analysis’. TourismManagement, Vol. 61, pp. 161-172.
Backhaus, N. (2005). Tourismand nature conservation in Malaysian National Parks. Transaction Publishers, London.
Backhaus, N. (2005). Tourism and nature conservation in Malaysian National Parks. Transaction Publishers, London.
Binns, T., and Nel, E. (2002), ‘Tourism as a local development strategy in South Africa’, The Geographical Journal, Vol. 168 No. 3, pp. 235–247.
Butler, R. (2018). Sustainable tourism in sensitive environments: AWolf in sheep’s clothing? Sustainability (Switzerland), 10(6). https://doi.org/10.3390/su10061789
Buckley, R. (2010). Adventure Tourism Management. Elsevier, Oxford.
Buckley, R. (2011), ‘Tourism and Environment’, The Annual Review of Environment and Resources, Vol. 36, pp. 397–416.
Buckley, R. (2012). Sustainable tourism: Research and reality. Annals of Tourism Research, 39(2), 528-546.
Cater, C. Cater, E. (2007). Marine Ecotourism: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, CABI Publ, Wallingford, UK.
Cole, D.N. (1995), ‘Experimental trampling of vegetation. I. Relationship between trampling intensity and vegetation response’, Journal Application Ecology. Vol. 32, pp. 203–14
Freytag, A., & Vietze, C. (2013). Can nature promote development? The role of sustainable tourism for economic growth. Journal of Environmental Economics and Policy, 2(1), 16-44.
Fellows, R., Liu, A.M.M. (1997), Research Methods for Construction. Blackwell Science, Oxford.
Gómez, J. A. D., and Gómez, T. G. (2017), ‘Analysing stakeholders’ perceptions of golf-course-based tourism: A proposal for developing sustainable tourism projects’, Tourism Management Perspectives, Vol. 63, pp. 135-143.
Hall, C. M. (2016). Intervening in academic interventions: framing social marketing's potential for successful sustainable tourism behavioural change. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 24(3), 350-375.
Hendee, J.C., Dawson, C.P. (2005). Wilderness Management, University Press of the Pacific, London, UK.
Hill, R. Pickering, C. (2009), ‘Differences in resistance of three subtropical vegetation types to experimental trampling’, Journal of environmental management, Vol. 90, pp. 1305–1312.
Jaafar, M., Kayat, K., and Tangit, T. M. (2013), ‘Nature-based rural tourism and its economic benefits: a case study of Kinabalu National Park’, Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, Vol. 5 No. 4, pp. 342-352.
Jaafar, M and Mohd Bari, N.J (2019). Rural Mountainous destinations: Local community aspect of Kinabalu Park. In Alternative Tourism edited by MKohamed, B and Salim, N. Universiti pendidikan Sultan Idris, Tanjong Malim, Perak
J.W. and LeBreton, J.M. (2004), ‘History and Use of Relative Importance Indices in Organizational Research’, OrganizationalResearch Methods, Vol. 7, pp. 238-257.
Karim, R., Muhammad, F., Serafino, L., Latip, N. A., & Marzuki, A. (2020). Integration of pro-poor tourism activities in community-based development initiatives: A case study in high mountain areas of pakistan. International Journal of Scientific and Technology Research, 9(4), 848-852. Retrieved from www.scopus.com.
Khalifah, Z., & Tahir, S. (1997). Malaysia: Tourism in perspective. Tourism and economic development in Asia and Australasia, pp.176-196.
Ko, D. W., and Stewart, W. P. (2002), ‘A structural equation model of residents? Attitudes for tourism development’, Tourism Management, Vol. 23 No. 5, 521–530.
Lama, W. B., and Sattar, N. (2002), ‘Mountain tourism and the conservation of biological and cultural diversity’. In M. F. Price, L.24
Latip, N. A., Badarulzaman, N., Marzuki, A., & Umar, M. U. (2013). Sustainable Forest Management in Lower Kinabatangan, Sabah: Issues and Current Practices. Planning Malaysia Journal, 11(3), 59–84 https://doi.org/10.21837/pmjournal.v11.i3.108
Latip, N. A., Rasoolimanesh, S. M., Jaafar, M., Marzuki, A., & Umar, M. U. (2018a). Indigenous participation in conservation and tourism development: A case of native people of Sabah, Malaysia. International Journal of Tourism Research. https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.2191
Latip, N. A., Rasoolimanesh, S. M., Jaafar, M., Marzuki, A., & Umar, M. U. (2018b). Indigenous residents’ perceptions towards tourism development: a case of Sabah, Malaysia. Journal of Place Management and Development, 11(4), 391–410. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPMD-09-2017-0086
Liddle M.J. (1997), Recreation Ecology: The Ecological Impact of Outdoor Recreation, Springer Netherlands, Queensland, Australia.
Martínez, Y.C., Baños, M.R. and Monroy, H.C. (2018) "Ecotourism as a path to sustainable development in an isolated Magic Town: The case study of La Trampa, Mexico", Journal of Tourism Analysis: Revista de Análisis Turístico, Vol. 25 No. 1, pp.23-38
Merwe, M., and Wöcke, A. (2007), ‘An investigation into responsible tourism practices in the South African hotel industry’. South African Journal of Business Management, Vol.38 No. 2, pp. 1–15.
Mowforth, M., and Munt, I. (2015), Tourism and Sustainability: Development, globalisation and new tourism in the Third World, Routledge, New York.
Nelson F. (2010), Community Rights, Conservation and Contested Land: The Politics of Natural Resource Governance in Africa, Earthscan, London.
Nepal, S. K. (2002), ‘Mountain Ecotourism and Sustainable Development’, Mountain Research and Development, Vol. 22 No.2, pp. 104-109.
Newsome D, Moore S, Dowling R. (2002), Natural Area Tourism: Ecology, Impacts and Management, Channel View, Clevedon, UK
Pimid, M., Abdul Latip, N., Marzuki, A., Umar, M. U., & Krishnan, K. T. (2020). Stakeholder Management Of Conservation In Lower Kinabatangan Sabah. Planning Malaysia, 18(13), 71–81. https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v18i13.776
Porto, N., Garbero, N. and Espinola, N. (2018). “Spatial distribution of touristic flows ina gravity model in South America” Journal of Tourism Analysis: Revista de Análisis Turístico, Volume. 25 No. 1, pp 39-53.
Postma, A. Schmuecker, D. (2017) "Understanding and overcoming negative impacts of tourism in city destinations: conceptual model and strategic framework", Journal of Tourism Futures, Vol. 3 No. 2, pp.144-156
Preston, L. (1997). Investing in mountains: innovative mechanisms and promising examples for financing conservation and sustainable development. Synthesis of a Mountain Forum electronic conference in support of the Mountain Agenda, Franklin, West Virginia, USA.
Price, M. F., Jansky, L., and Iatsenia, A. A. (2004), Key Issues for Mountain Areas. United Nations University Press, Tokyo.
Rabbany, G., Afrin, S., Rahman, A., Islam, F., and Hoque, F. (2013), ‘Environmental Effects of Tourism’, American Journal of Environment, Energy and Power Research, Vol. 1 No. 7, pp. 117-130.
Roxas, F. M. Y., Rivera, J. P. R., & Gutierrez, E. L. M. (2018). Framework for creating sustainable tourism using systems thinking. Current Issues in Tourism, 1-17.
Sadi, M. A., & Bartels, F. L. (1997). Th Rise of Malaysia's Tourism Industry: Implications for Singapore. Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, 38(5), 88-95.
S.M Ladki (1993) Proceedings of the Society of Travel and Tourism Educators Conference, 5, pp. 90-102
Strasdas, W. (2005). Community-based Tourism: Between self-determination and market realities. In Tourism Forum International at the Reisepavillon.
Stronza A., DurhamWH, eds. (2008), Ecotourism and Conservation in the Americas, CABI Publ, Wallingford, UK. 288 pp.
Sunlu, U. (2003), ‘Environmental impacts of tourism’. Paper presented at the Camarda D. (ed.), Grassini L. (ed.). Local resources and global trades: Environments and agriculture in the Mediterranean region
Tay, K. X., Chan, J. K. L., Vogt, C. A., and Mohamed, B. (2016), ‘Comprehending the responsible tourism practices through principles of sustainability: A case of Kinabalu Park’, Tourism Management Perspectives, Vol. 18, pp. 34-41.
The Sabah Parks, 2016, The History of Kinabalu Park. Retrieved from http://www.sabahparks.org.my/index.php/the-parks/parks-of-sabah
Torres-Delgado, A., and Palomeque, F. L. (2012), ‘The growth and spread of the concept of sustainable tourism: The contribution of institutional initiatives to tourism policy’, Tourism Management Perspectives, Vol. 4, pp. 1–10.
UNEP, E. (2002). Global environmental outlook: 3. Past, present and future perspectives. Earthscan Publications, London.
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.
