REJUVENATION / DECLINE STAGE

Rejuvenation

After all of the stages as suggested by the Butler theory has passed, there would only be two follow ups of consequences. One is the rejuvenation where a tourist destination is renewed and made improvements. In many cases, combined government and private efforts are necessary, and the new market may be not the allocentric section of the population (which would suggest a recommencement of the complete cycle), but rather a specific interest or activity group.

Ultimately, however, it can be expected that even the attractions of the rejuvenated tourist area will lose their competitiveness. Only in the case of the truly unique area could one anticipate an almost timeless attractiveness, able to withstand the pressures of visitation. Even in such a case, human tastes and preferences would have to remain constant over time for visitors to be attracted.

Many established tourist areas in Kuala Lumpur, and elsewhere attract visitors who have spent their vacations in these areas consistently for several decades, and the preferences of these repeat visitors show little sign of changing. In the majority of cases, though, the initial selection of the area to be visited by these people was determined by cost and accessibility rather than specific preferences.

Declines

As for the declining stage of tourist spots which can be predicted as the opposing results from the rejuvenation , Research by Plog into the psychology of travel, and the characterization of travellers as allocentrics, mid-centrics, and psychocentrics, substantiates Christaller’s argument.6 Plog suggests that tourist areas are attractive to different types of visitors as the areas evolve, beginning with small numbers of adventuresome allocentrics, followed by increasing numbers of mid-centrics as the area becomes accessible, better serviced, and well known, and giving way to declining numbers of psychocentrics as the area becomes older, more outdated, and less different to the areas of origin of visitors.

While the actual numbers of visitors may not decline for a long time, the potential market will reduce in size as the area has to compete with others that are more recently developed. Plog sums up his argument thus: ‘We can visualize a destination moving across a spectrum, however gradually or slowly, but far too often inexorably toward the potential of its own demise. Destination areas carry with them the potential seeds of their own destruction, as they allow themselves to become more commercialized and lose their qualities which originally attracted tourists.’

STAGNATION STAGE

In this stage, stagnation explained us that visitor numbers have reached their peak. Besides, Carrying capacity has been reached or exceeded. Tourism causes environmental, social and economic problems and also the resort becomes divorced from its geographic environment. moreover the artificial tourism attractions now supersede the original primary attractions meanwhile the area has well-established image but will no longer be fashionable. As we know, the urban tourism is about travel or vacationing in revitalized inner-city and other urban areas and also a term for tourism in which city is a destination and area of multiple tourist activities. Actually, the stagnation is a competition from other resorts, rowdiness and a loss of the original features. For example in the urban tourism, if it had a great pool but that is now crowded and full of rubbish can cause the hotel to stop growing.  The number of people going levels off then starts to decline, threatening local businesses and services.

This form of tourism is relatively old and very complex. Cities were always purpose of many journeys and trips although it becomes more and more popular phenomenon since 50’s. As a subject of research urban tourism didn’t exist before 80’s and till 90’s was very underestimated. Tourism within cities is strongly connected with their growth and technology development as well. Travelling to cities became easier, faster and in many cases cheaper than it was decades ago. Important fact is that the awareness of possibilities that come with urban tourism rose significantly.

Urban tourism includes many other types of tourism for example cultural tourism as culture is one of the most important motives for travelling. In cities different forms of tourist activities are concentrated on sightseeing, leisure, shopping, visiting friends and family, religion, business, participation in congresses, conferences, entertainment (events, clubs), trainings and transit. All the activities listed above are included in term in-the-city tourism; however they are not always identified as urban tourism.

CONSOLIDATION STAGE

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia has emerged as a major destination for urban tourism. This is in contrast with the rest of the country which is better known for its beautiful scenery, beaches, majestic rainforest and mountains .(Turner, 1975). Kuala Lumpur, as the youngest capital in South-East Asia has only recently been promoted as a tourist destination. It is now the most economically successful city after Singapore. It attracts visitors for its mix of old and new. The few remaining colonial buildings lend charm among the ultra modern skyscrapers and buildings which has transformed Kuala Lumpur into a major destination for urban tourism. 

Urban tourism becomes one of the main functions of the cities and its importance is still growing. This is the result of, among others, increasing prosperity, as well as improvement of the mobility of societies. The cities offer a number of products aimed at tourists, the quality and attractiveness of which often determine the competitiveness of cities thus determining their development. On the one hand, intensive tourism is a favourable phenomenon associated with the activation of the local economy, but on the other hand, it can interfere with the functioning of the city. High volume of tourist traffic can also cause degradation of tourist values, thereby reducing - in the long term - the tourist attractiveness of the place.

The development strategies for the next 20 years are focused on the vision for Kuala Lumpur to become a World-Class City. The strategies are also firmly grounded on the direction and accomplishments of the KLSP 1984 that set the framework for the structure and present growth patterns of Kuala Lumpur. The physical shape of Kuala Lumpur, the distribution of land uses, the new growth areas, infrastructure development especially roads and rail systems are all directly attributable to the policies and strategies set out in the KLSP 1984.

Consolidation is the area continues to attract tourists. The growth in tourist numbers may not be a fast as before. Some tensions develop between the host and the tourists. The local economy is probably dominated by tourism at this stage, and many local people will make their money from this type of industry.  However, this can remove people from other industries such as farming and fishing and these industries can suffer as a result.  There will be continued building and expansion of the resort BUT some of the older buildings will start to become unattractive and a lower quality client base might result.

*      Tourism growth slows but the numbers of tourists exceeds the local population

*      The area's economy is tied to tourism

*      Marketing and advertising will be wide-reaching

*      Major franchises and tourism chains will be represented

*      Resort areas will have a well-defined recreational business district

 *      Tourism arouses opposition and discontent from some local people

DEVELOPMENT STAGE

In the development stage, it shows that high numbers of tourists that may exceed the local population during peak periods. It also can control passes from the local to external organization. Then, it increase in tension between local people and tourist. In this stage, also company start to see the emerging potential of the area as a tourist arrive and therefore start to invest money in the region.  They build large hotel complexes and sell package holidays. A package might include travel, accommodation, food and excursions.  This makes the numbers of tourists swell dramatically and massively expands the number of job opportunities for people in the local region, in both tourist related jobs and in construction and services.

Furthermore, the goal at this stage is to maintain existing demand, reach new customers from competitors and create new products. At this stage, three strategies are seen as the most appropriate due to its use in several destination literature.

First strategy is overall cost leadership strategy. A sustainable cost advantage can be developed by Kuala Lumpur, over their competitors, through cost leadership. Cost leadership strategy is where the destination achieves lower costs than its rivals and competes across a broad range of segments. This strategy aims is to secure a cost advantage over its competitors destinations, price the product competitively, relative to how it is perceived by customers and achieve a high profit margin (Thompson, 1997). If this applies, destinations will earn strong profits while attracting consumers at lower prices. As the result, the tourists’ perceived value of the product becomes the competitive advantage (Andriotis, 2001).

Second strategy is differentiation strategy. Differentiation strategy is centred upon increasing the value for which the tourist is willing to pay premium prices. Thus it is crucial for the Kuala Lumpur to ensure the cost to add value is invested in areas that the tourists perceive as important as well, it is essential to the tourist to recognise and appreciate the product uniqueness and differences (Thompson, 1997).

Third strategy is focus strategy. Compared to the overall cost leadership and differentiation strategies that appeal to the broad market, focus strategy is where the destination may choose to confine their products/services to particular market segment, thus concentrating only on one segment or a limited range of segments. The destination of “get to know the needs of these segments and pursues either cost leadership or a form of differentiation within the target segment” is important. Consequently the focus strategy serves this market better than competitor destination.

INVOLVEMENT STAGE

Involvement stage when local people start to provide some facilities for tourists. There starts to become a recognised tourist season.  In the earliest stage of destination lifecycle, the destination product and market share are usually unknown.

Thus the adoptions of correct strategies are absolutely necessary in order to forestall future issues ahead. These strategies include selling new product/ services to new markets and expand market share and build awareness among the tourist. By implementing both strategies, the destination hope to attain a strong market position before competitors enters.

From its humble beginnings as a tin mining town in the 1800s, Kuala Lumpur has transformed into a vibrant, bustling, cosmopolitan city that is home to more than seven million people.  Kuala Lumpur is defined within the borders of the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and is one of three Malaysian Federal Territories.

It is an enclave within the stage of Selangor, on the central west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Since the 1990s, the city has played host to many international sporting, political and cultural events including the 1998 Commonwealth Games and the Formula One Grand Prix. In addition, Kuala Lumpur is home to the tallest twin buildings in the world, the Petronas Twin Towers, which have become an iconic symbol of Malaysia’s futuristic development.

EXPLORATION STAGE

Prior to independence, Malaya was a British colony. When Malaya's independence, to be attained on 31 August 1957, was approved by the British Government in 1956, the first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman announced it to the public in Malacca at what is today Dataran Pahlawan. On the evening of 30 August 1957, crowds gathered at what was then known as the Selangor Club Padang (Green) to celebrate the historic event. As the clock on the State Secretariat Building (today's Sultan Abdul Samad Building) struck midnight, the crowds, led by Tunku Abdul Rahman, shouted "Merdeka" seven times. The Union Jack was lowered and the flag of the new country was raised to the strains of the national anthem, Negaraku. The Selangor Club Padang is today known as Dataran Merdeka (Independence Square). The next day, the official handing over of power by the British was held at Stadium Merdeka (Independence Stadium). The country was renamed Malaysia on September 16, 1963, when Singapore, Sabah, Sarawak and Malaya formed a new federation.

During World War II, Kuala Lumpur was captured by the Imperial Japanese Army on 11 January 1942. They occupied the city until 15 August 1945, when the commander in chief of the Japanese Seventh Area Army in Singapore and Malaysia surrendered to the British administration following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Kuala Lumpur grew through the war, the rubber and tincommodity crashes and the Malayan Emergency, during which Malaya was preoccupied with the communist insurgency. In 1957, the Federation of Malaya gained its independence from British rule. Kuala Lumpur remained the capital through the formation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963.

On 13 May 1969, the worst race riots on record in Malaysia took place in Kuala Lumpur.The so-called 13 May incident refers to the occurrence of violence between members of the Malay and theChinese communities. The violence was the result of Malaysian Malays being dissatisfied with their socio-political status. The riots resulted in the deaths of 196 people,and led to major changes in the country's economic policy to promote and prioritise Malay economic development over that of the other ethnicities.

Kuala Lumpur has its origins in the 1850s, when the Malay Chief of Klang, Raja Abdullah bin Raja Jaafar Raja Abdullah,hired some Chinese laborers to open new and larger tinmines for tin prospectors.The miners landed at the confluence of Sungai Gombak(previously known as Sungai Lumpur, meaning "muddy river") and Sungai Klang (Klang River) to open mines at Ampang, Pudu and Batu. These mines developed into a trading post that became a frontier town. Kuala Lumpur started to prosper and made capital of the Federated Malay States in 1896. Malaysia's independence was declared in 1957 at Stadium Merdeka (Independence Stadium), and Kuala Lumpur continued as the new nation's capital. The economic boom of the 1990s brought KL the standard trappings of a modern city, bristling with skyscrapers and modern transportation systems.

During the early times, Kuala Lumpur had many problems, including the Selangor Civil War. It was also plagued by diseases and constant fires and floods. Around the 1870s, the third Chinese Kapitan of Kuala Lumpur (Yap Ah Loy-leader) became responsible for the survival and subsequent systematic growth of this town. He began to develop Kuala Lumpur from a small, obscure settlement into a booming mining town. In 1880, the state capital of Selangor was moved from Klang to the more strategically advantageous Kuala Lumpur.

In 1881, a flood swept through the town, following a fire that had engulfed it earlier. These successive problems destroyed the town's structures of wood and roof. The aftermath had rendered the town in a muddy state. As the town lies in the confluence of two rivers: Klang River and Gombak River, the town was later given its name Kuala Lumpur, which means muddy estuary. As a response, Frank Swettenham, the British Resident of Selangor, required that buildings be constructed of brick and tile. Hence, Kapitan Yap Ah Loy bought a sprawling piece of real estate to set up a brick industry, which spurred the rebuilding of Kuala Lumpur. This place is the eponymous Brickfields. Hence, destroyed roof buildings were replaced with brick and tiled ones. He restructured the building layout of the city.

Development intensified in the 1890s, leading to the creation of a Sanitary Board. Kapitan Yap Ah Loy spent a sum of $20,000 to expand road access in the city significantly, linking up tin mines with the city, these roads include the main arterial roads of Ampang Road, Pudu Road and Petaling Street. As Chinese Kapitan, he was vested with wide powers on par with Malay community leaders. He implemented law reforms and introduced new legal measures. He also presided over a small claims court. With a police force of six, he was able to uphold the rule of law. He built a prison that could accommodate 60 prisoners at any time. Kapitan Yap Ah Loy also built Kuala Lumpur's first school and a major tapioca mill in Petaling Street of which the Selangor's Sultan Abdul Samad had an interest.

In 1896, Kuala Lumpur was chosen as the capital of the newly formed Federated Malay States. A mixture of different communities settled in various sections of Kuala Lumpur. The Chinese mainly settled around the commercial centre of Market Square, east of the Klang River, and towards Chinatown. The Malays, Indian Chettiars, and Indian Muslims resided along Java Street (Jalan Tun Perak). The Padang, now known as Merdeka Square, was the centre of the British administrative offices.

Kuala Lumpur was administered by a corporation sole called the Federal Capital Commissioner from 1 April 1961, until it was awarded city status in 1972, after which executive power transferred to the Lord Mayor (Datuk Bandar). Nine mayors have been appointed since then. The current mayor is Ahmad Phesal Talib, who has been in office since 18 July 2012.

Kuala Lumpur later achieved city status in 1972, becoming the first settlement in Malaysia to be granted the status after independence. Later, on 1 February 1974, Kuala Lumpur became a Federal Territory. Kuala Lumpur ceased to be the capital of Selangor in 1978 after the city of Shah Alam was declared the new state capital. On 14 May 1990, Kuala Lumpur celebrated 100 years of local council. The new federal territory Kuala Lumpur flag and anthem were introduced.

Kuala Lumpur is home to the University of Malaya (UM). It established in 1949 and founded in 1962, the oldest university in Malaysia, and one of the oldest in the region. Tunku Abdul Rahman College was established in 1969 and followed by the International Islamic University Malaysia in 1983. In addition, the Malay-language National University of Malaysia opened in Kuala Lumpur nearby Bangi in 1970.

The local administration is carried out by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall, an agency under the Federal Territories Ministry of Malaysia. It is responsible for public health and sanitation, waste removal and management, town planning, environmental protection and building control, social and economic development, and general maintenance functions of urban infrastructure. Executive power lies with the mayor in the city hall, who is appointed for three years by the Federal Territories Minister. This system of appointing the mayor has been in place ever since the local government elections were suspended in 1970.

History of Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur was launched as urban tourism in 1 February 1972. It become the first settlement in Malaysia to be granted the status after independence. The name changed into Kuala Lumpur City Hall (Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur). Later, on 1 February 1974, Kuala Lumpur became a Federal Territory. Kuala Lumpur ceased to be the capital of Selangor in 1978 after the city of Shah Alam was declared as the new state capital.

The Butler Sequence

  The Butler sequence have six stages: exploration,  involvement, development, consolidation, stagnation, and decline. Each stage of the tourism life cycle is differ thus required a distinctive strategy to achieve sustainable destination.Based on the analysis, Malaysia is on the development stage and it was suggested that currently the strategies used to prevent the decline of destination. The essence of strategy formulation is an assessment of whether the destination is on the right track and how it can perform more efficiently and effectively on order to become competitive and achieve sustainability.

The essence of strategy formulation is an assessment of whether the destination is on the right track and how it can perform more efficiently and effectively in order to become competitive and achieve sustainability.

   The understanding of the environment, community and tourist need and want will help the destination to outperform their rivals and sustained for the future.