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Community-based development of Fraser’s Hill towards sustainable ecotourism

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Abstract

Community-based ecotourism enables community participation to achieve effective sustainable management while also fostering environmental well-being and community development. Fraser’s Hill is a well-known ecotourism travel destination located in the Pahang state highlands in Malaysia. This study aims to examine the impact of development on the community’s quality of life living in the vicinity of Fraser’s Hill and contribute to the continuous move towards sustainable ecotourism. This study utilises the descriptive analysis approach to analysis to find the basic static value. A total of 60 respondents, including residents and guests in the area, were randomly chosen to collect data by the structured interview method. Positive and negative experiences were identified from an analysis of the expressive dimensions of the respondents. The study’s findings demonstrate that several development accomplishments have decreased the fragile ecosystem to a specific degree. Moreover, there is an absence of community well-being in ecotourism exercises in the Fraser’s Hill area. Most importantly, Fraser’s Hill’s development is appropriate; in any case, the community’s understanding of the development is minimal. Holistic endeavours ought to be made for the community’s well-being to share in the activities related to ecotourism in this highland location. This study will assist policymakers in three ways: to expand environmental understanding for sustainable development, to motivate the local community in community-based ecotourism, and to increase economic, social, and cultural benefits among inhabitants. These benefits encourage people in the community to get involved with community-based ecotourism, which helps both tourists and locals keep the environment safe and develop the local economy.

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Source: wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysia_Federal_Route_56#/media/File:Snakes_in_the_jungle.tif

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the people of Fraser’s Hill who assisted with the collection of data, interviews, logistics, and other information. The author also thanks Prof. Dr. Luc Hens and anonymous reviewers for their appreciations, recommendations, and editorial comments. This work was supported by University Research Grants, Universiti Utara Malaysia under Grant Number (SO Code) 21187, & 21185, respectively.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of International Studies, Universiti Utara Malaysia, 06010 UUM, Sintok, Kedah, Malaysia

    A. S. A. Ferdous Alam

  2. School of Economics, Finance and Banking (SEFB), Universiti Utara Malaysia, 06010 UUM, Sintok, Kedah, Malaysia

    Halima Begum

  3. Centre for Studies on Europe, Azerbaijan State University of Economics (UNEC), Baku, Azerbaijan

    Halima Begum

  4. Faculty Member, Business Studies Group, National University Bangladesh, Gazipur, 1704, Bangladesh

    Md. Anowar Hossain Bhuiyan

  5. Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, National University of Malaysia, 43600 UKM, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

    Sarmila Md Sum

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  1. A. S. A. Ferdous Alam
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Contributions

The idea of the original draft belongs to ASAFA and HB. The introduction, literature review, and empirical outcomes sections are written by ASAFA and HB. MAHB helped in data collection, and ASAFA compiled and visualised data of observed variables. ASAFA and HB constructed the methodology section in the study. The manuscript is reviewed and edited by MAHB and SMS. All the authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Halima Begum.

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An earlier version of this paper was presented at the International Conference on 4th Asia International Conference 2018, Asia Proceedings of Social Sciences (APSS), 08–09 December 2018, Westin Hotel, Langkawi, MALAYSIA, Organised by Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia.

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Alam, A.S.A.F., Begum, H., Bhuiyan, M.A.H. et al. Community-based development of Fraser’s Hill towards sustainable ecotourism. Environ Dev Sustain 26, 319–333 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-022-02710-y

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