Perception of young local residents toward sustainable conservation programmes: A case study of the Lenggong World Cultural Heritage Site
This paper examines the relationships between the perception of young local residents regarding tourism development and conservation efforts, their involvement in promoting and supporting Lenggong Valley as a World Heritage Site (WHS), and their sense of belonging. This paper also asks if the inv...
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| Format: | Article |
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ELSEVIER
2015
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| Online Access: | http://eprints.usm.my/30201/ |
| Summary: | This paper examines the relationships between the perception of young local residents regarding
tourism development and conservation efforts, their involvement in promoting and supporting Lenggong
Valley as a World Heritage Site (WHS), and their sense of belonging. This paper also asks if the
involvement of young residents in activities to support the WHS acts as a mediator of their perceptions
and their sense of belonging. A questionnaire survey was administered to all Y4 and Y5 students from
three secondary schools in Lenggong Valley. A total of 175 completed questionnaires were returned.
Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was applied to the resultant data using
SmartPLS 2.0 software. The results revealed that having positive perceptions had a positive effect on
young residents' involvement in promoting and supporting the Lenggong WHS. A positive relationship
between young residents' negative perceptions and their sense of belonging was also found. These
findings indicate that involvement plays a mediating role in the relationship between residents' positive
perceptions and their sense of belonging. The findings contribute to our understanding of the importance
of youth perceptions in pursuing sustainable tourism development and in planning WHS conservation
programmes. Our findings might also be relevant to Lenggong's local authorities wanting to increase the
involvement of local residents, in particular youth, in supporting and promoting the status of the WHS
and in enhancing their sense of belonging. |
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