The 2012 Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Annual Conference, held in Kuala Lumpur earlier this year, highlighted the development of the tourism sector in both Malaysia and at the global level.

The event was officiated by the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. One of the key points covered was the increasing share of the global tourist market in the Asia and Pacific areas, estimated to rise from 22% in 2011 to 30% in 2030. The World Tourism Organisation (WTO) forecast further indicated that international tourist arrivals will increase to 1.8 billion by 2030; with the Asia and Pacific areas gaining the most of the new arrivals. Accordingly, Malaysia recorded 24.7 million tourists in 2011, as compared to only seven million tourists in 1999. This figure in itself is an illustration of the importance of tourism sector to the national Gross National Income (GNI). The tourism sector is expected to contribute RM 103.6 billion in GNI for the country by 2020.

In the same month, the Perak State Secretary Office organised the International Seminar on Biodiversity and Tourism in Perak, Malaysia, in conjunction with Visit Perak Year 2012. The event was organised in collaboration with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s Centre for Innovative Planning and Development (CiPD). The event brought together experts on biodiversity conservation and ecotourism to discuss related issues.

Speakers included: Professor Trevor Sofield from University of Tasmania (ret.); Professor Amran Hamzah from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia; Mr Yeap Chin Aik, representing the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS); Mr Mohd Hasim Abdul Hamid from Koperasi Pelancongan Mukim Batu Puteh, Kinabatangan, Sabah (KOPEL); Mr Riduwan Zanin from the Malaysian Nature Guides Association; and Professor Yoshitaka Kumagai representing the Akita International University. More than 70 participants representing various government agencies, industry players, academia, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) attended.

Both conferences highlighted the importance of tourism and environmental sustainability to Malaysia, and proposed the idea that the two concepts needn't be mutually exclusive.

Sustainable tourism challenge and marine biodiversity conservation  

Biodiversity conservation and tourism development is often referred to as a double-edged sword. Without proper planning and management, tourism is likely to cause irreversible damage to biodiversity. The rapid speed at which the sector has been developing warrants adequate attention to infrastructure planning and development, as well as management of tourists to ensure that the marine ecosystem and natural resources are not adversely affected.

The relationship between biodiversity conservation and tourism development is also recognised by the United Nation's Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). It is envisaged that with proper management, tourism development will bring benefits to the local communities. One significant contribution under the CBD includes the Guidelines on Biodiversity and Tourism Development. As a signatory to the CBD, Malaysia is fully committed to protecting and preserving the country’s rich biodiversity, which play a pivotal role in the efforts to develop sustainable tourism practices through ‘ecotourism’.

‘Ecotourism’ is defined as a form of tourism focusing on the pristine protected areas of a country’s natural envrionment.  Ecotourism’s aim is to be as low-impact to these (often very fragile) locations as possible. It is usually conducted on a small scale, as an alternative to standard commercial (mass) tourism. Furthermore, its purpose and outreach may include environmental education, conservation fundraising, or to contribute to the region’s economic development and the political empowerment of local communities. It can also be utilised to foster respect for different cultures and for human rights and to ensure that future generations may experience destinations relatively untouched by human intervention.

At the national level, the Malaysian Tourism Policy, which was formulated in 1992, identified ecotourism as one form of tourism to be expanded and sustained. Although ecotourism was touted as a type of tourism that would not compromise the commercial benefits of an area, in practice, and in Malaysia at least, it is often difficult to distinguish it from mass tourism. The term has been widely employed as a marketing buzzword or as a form of 'green-washing' in the attempt to ride on the crest of the ecotourism wave.

Breaking down the barriers for Malaysia

The tourism sector has been recently incorporated under the national Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) as one of the core areas to contribute to the country’s economic growth, which is further reflected by the establishment of the Malaysia Mega Biodiversity Hub (MMBH). Malaysia aspires to leverage on its biodiversity hotspots, to move up nature-based tourism along the value chain, without compromising the protection and preservation of the environment. It is envisaged that MMBH will help establish Malaysia as one of the world’s premier ecotourism destinations, ensure service of excellence and sustainable use, and empower rural communities up the value chain.

It was acknowledged that the key concern for nature tourism is visitor satisfaction through a quality experience and environmentally positive outcomes through conservation and protection of biodiversity. Mass tourism and volume of visitation are hence considered to be the major threat and constraint to a quality experience. Many pristine areas are ‘loved to death’, with the loss of biodiversity as one of the biggest challenges. Tourism hence needs to confront visitation pressures to maintain biodiversity and achieve sustainability. There is as such a need to address marine biodiversity challenges - and the need for proactive, constructive engagement of the relevant stakeholders.

The International Seminar on Biodiversity and Tourism was hence timely, as it focused on how Malaysia could leverage on its biodiversity hotspots to increase yield from ecotourism without compromising protection and preservation of the environment. The seminar largely emphasised on the capability for sustainable tourism in biodiversity conservation. This can be achieved by providing economic alternatives for local communities, creating revenue streams to support conservation activities, and building constituencies that support conservation priorities. Such constituencies expose tourists and the local communities to the value of protecting unique natural ecosystems using sustainable ecotourism principles and integrated environmental management plans, especially in protected areas. Among the tools suggested for tourism management include Carrying Capacity (though this method is now touted as being outdated by environmental managers), the Limits of Acceptable Change, and Recreational Opportunity Spectrum.

Key suggestions

The seminar made several suggestions towards developing a sustainable tourism sector in the country that would also safeguard marine biodiversity. These suggestions included: the need for a clearer definition of ‘green tourism’ or ‘ecotourism’ and the principles that should be adopted and implemented; that the tourism management tools suggested be envisaged to provide a compromise among the stakeholders with different interests; that monitoring be a crucial element in environmental management efforts, supported by good baseline data; and the promotion of Public/Private partnerships, with a goal towards improving tourism facilities and infrastructure, thus moving up the value chain.

The seminar acknowledged that tourism is just one of the sectors that affect biodiversity conservation in the country. There are various other factors that need to be considered as well with regards to sustainable biodiversity conservation, including: climate change effects, land and sea-based pollution, developmental activities and the introduction of alien species to new areas. All these factors will require concerted efforts and cooperation by all interested parties and relevant stakeholders, towards the achievement of a successful ecotourist economy in Malaysia and the Asian region as a whole.

Cheryl Kaur

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