Ecotourism Planning : Who is really Responsible?

Abstract

The potential of tourism aas a generator of hospitality industry, employment and income is leading many states in Malaysia to pay increasing attention to this sector. While mass tourism continues to make the headlines, 'new tourism' like ecotourism and agrotourism is fast becoming the buzzword of this new millennium. Joining the ranks of states promoting ecotourism is Kelantan, the focus of this paper. The notion that tourism is the panacea of economic problems is debatable. As illustrated by various example in this paaper, tourism, if not properly planned and managed can create chaos and leave negative impact on nature. This paper focuses on the issue of laws and policies that govern the use of eco-resources found in Southern Kelantan, which are believed to contribute to the degradation of the resources.