Potentials and challenges of involving indigenous communities in ecotourism in Belum-Temenggor Forest Complex, Perak, Malaysia
Ecotourism is usually regarded as responsible travel to nature-based areas with the aims to enjoy nature while at the same time to contribute towards the protection and conservation of nature as well as to the welfare of local communities in that area. Most significantly, ecotourism should provid...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Conference or Workshop Item |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2013
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://eprints.usm.my/35011/ http://eprints.usm.my/35011/1/HBP34.pdf |
| Summary: | Ecotourism is usually regarded as responsible travel to nature-based areas
with the aims to enjoy nature while at the same time to contribute towards
the protection and conservation of nature as well as to the welfare of local
communities in that area. Most significantly, ecotourism should provide
opportunity for the locals to participate and gain benefit from its
development. Belum Temengor forest is among the most promising
ecotourism destinations in Malaysia. Furthermore, this area is currently
widely being promoted up to international level due to its complex ecosystem
and rich wildlife diversity. Not only blessed with rich and flourishing flora
and fauna, this area also shelters the indigenous orang asli communities
made up of Jahai and Temiar together with their unique cultures. However,
the main research questions explored in this paper are: Are these ‘shy’
indigenous communities prepared to delve into the fast developing
ecotourism sector? How are they involved in ecotourism and do they benefit
from it? This paper examines how the orang asli perceive ecotourism and its
development, and how ecotourism in turn affects them. The main research
instrument used is qualitative techniques based on interviews with key
informants. Results indicate that the BTFC is facing increasing threats, and
tourism development is threatening its natural heritage. The results also
show that ecotourism has great potentials but the orang asli community
enjoys little of the tourism benefits. Instead, orang asli cultures are eroded,
their natural habitat on which they rely on for their subsistence increasingly
destroyed, and their villages encroached upon. Ecotourism needs to find a
balance between economics, environment and social equity, viz. where the
orang asli community is involved and enjoys equally the benefits to ensure its
sustainability in BTFC. |
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