Local Community Perceptions on Tourism Impacts and Support for Tourism Development: At Bujang Valley, Kedah

Abstract

This study aims to examine the local community perceptions towards tourism impacts and their support for tourism developments. Those impacts were classified into three element which comprises of economic impacts, socio-cultural impacts and environmental impacts in which Social Exchange Theory (SET) has become the foundation to the research frameworks. The study was conducted in Bujang Valley, Kedah, a destination that are known for its own charm in archaeological values in which have been nominated in the listing of World Heritage Sites status by UNESCO. A total of 387 questionnaires were collected from local community that living within vicinity of Bujang Valley archaeological sites. Based on the results, there is a significant relationship between the perception of local community towards the economic and environmental impacts and their support for tourism development. Whereas, the local community shown insignificant relationship between tourism impacts and support for tourism development. The findings of this study proven that it is crucial to assist the tourism authorities and planners such as Kedah Tourism Board and Bujang Valley’s local authorities to understand why the local community support or oppose the tourism development. Besides, this study will create awareness and assist in making better management and planning decisions by providing the best facilities/infrastructure to the local community in the future as well as allowing the local authorities to better understand the status of tourism in that destination.