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Indigenous residents’ perceptions towards tourism development: a case of Sabah, Malaysia

Normah Abdul Latip (School of Housing, Building and Planning, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia)
S. Mostafa Rasoolimanesh (Faculty of Hospitality, Food and Leisure Management, Taylor’s University, Subang Jaya, Malaysia)
Mastura Jaafar (School of Housing, Building and Planning, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia)
Azizan Marzuki (School of Housing, Building and Planning, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia)
Mohd Umzarulazijo Umar (School of Housing, Building and Planning, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia)

Journal of Place Management and Development

ISSN: 1753-8335

Article publication date: 11 June 2018

Issue publication date: 3 October 2018

1104

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the perceptions of indigenous people towards tourism development and the factors that influence their perceptions of the economic, social and environmental impacts of tourism.

Design/methodology/approach

This study will focus on the perceptions of an aboriginal group indigenous to Malaysia, and draws upon a sample of 272 from the Lower Kinabatangan region of Sabah, Malaysia. Respondents were administered a questionnaire, the results of which were analysed by way of partial least squares–structural equation modelling.

Findings

The results indicate a significant positive effect for economic gain on the perceived economic and environmental impacts of tourism, and of community involvement on the perception of social impacts. Moreover, the study found that the perception of environmental impacts, followed by perceived economic impacts, had a strong effect on support for tourism development.

Originality/value

This study makes a significant theoretical contribution to the resident perception literature by investigating how the perception of tourism impacts affects indigenous residents’ support for tourism development. Furthermore, this study describes a number of practical implications of this study for the promotion of sustainable tourism development among indigenous residents.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to extend their appreciation to the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) for funding this research project through the Research University Grant, RUI [Grant no. 1001/PPBGN/811235].

Citation

Latip, N.A., Rasoolimanesh, S.M., Jaafar, M., Marzuki, A. and Umar, M.U. (2018), "Indigenous residents’ perceptions towards tourism development: a case of Sabah, Malaysia", Journal of Place Management and Development, Vol. 11 No. 4, pp. 391-410. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPMD-09-2017-0086

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited

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