IMPACT OF TOURISM ( SABAH )

Sabah, at the northern tip of Borneo, has perhaps the most varied topography of the whole island, including the highest mountain between Himalayas and New Guinea, probably the best mangrove stand in Malaysia, and some of the most spectacular coral reefs in the world.At 73,620 sq. Sabah is about the same size as Ireland, and is the second Largest of Malaysia’s thirteen states. Its, 1440 km heavily indented coastline is fringed by three seas: the south China sea to the west, the Sulu sea to the north east and the Celebes Sea to the south east.Sabah is a picturesque state of Malaysia; one of the thirteen that make up the whole country. This eastern most state is best known for its natural tropical beauty, a far reaching history and its art culture. Surprisingly, it is also known as the land below the wind, because of its closeness to the typhoon region of Philippines. Over the years, the popularity of this beautiful place has risen drastically, especially since people are looking for newer places to enjoy their vacations.

The flora and fauna of this beautiful state is no different to that of a tropical paradise. The western part of it mainly consists of mountains with forest vegetation but the elevation is not too high. The mountains are also home to kinabalu National park that is host to an array of wild animals in rainforests. The park has a unique geographical advantage such that a huge mix of plants exists in the region and is therefore also a world heritage site. The mountains also give way to a number of small and medium sized rivers and streams that snake their way towards the sea. This abundance of fresh water makes the region extremely fertile and keeps things is flow. The greenery and the wilderness attract thousands of tourists around the world.Away from the forests and historical places are the main metropolitan areas that are filled with shopping plazas and retail stores. Foreign brands and businesses have their shops here too, so any visitors or the residents do not have any inconvenience. Wide highways and clean roads make everything very appealing to the eyes. For those people, who especially want to make this place their home, beautiful neighborhoods are constructed near blue coastal areas making it a dream life for anyone.

The beautiful Kota Kinabalu City is one such example that is filled with constructions that people can ready by to settle in. Not only are complete villas and homes available, but also apartments and condos located near the coast line.Besides residential beaches, special tourist beaches are also developed with a wide number of restaurants there to cater to different people. A lot of these are also located quite away from the city traffic to give it a more natural look. 

Economic impact

As for the case of Sabah, responsible tourism is considered as the catalyst for sustainable development of rural tourism industry; it provides the means for poverty eradication by widening the distribution of tourism economic benefits by including the interior communities, in particular. The key objectives of responsible tourism applicable in Sabah, include: The key objectives of responsible tourism applicable in Sabah, include:

*     To protect the environment – makes positive contributions to the conservation of natural heritage (flora, fauna and landscapes), maintaining the world’s diversity.

*     To respect local cultures – traditions, religions and built heritage, minimising negative economic, environmental and social impacts as a result of tourism development in rural areas.

*  To benefit local communities – involves local people in decisions that affect them both economically and socially. By adapting the ‘Fair Trade’ principles, it generates sustainable economic benefits to the local communities, enhances their well-being and improves their accessibility to the tourism industry.

*  To conserve natural resources – better management of tourism destinations, efficient use of tourism resources and improved working conditions through effective training.

*   To minimise pollution – reduction of noise, waste disposal and congestion, application of green technology and educating visitors about the local environment and its issues.

Environmental impact

Developing a tourism industry has both benefits and costs. However, if these impacts are understood from the views of tourism stakeholders, strengths and opportunities can be maximised while weaknesses and threats can be minimised. 

Firstly, the impacts of tourism on environmental attributes such coral reefs, water, fisheries and beaches are discussed briefly. The impacts of tourism towards environmental attributes range derives from tourism activities such as boating, snorkelling, diving and fishing. Improper and irresponsible behaviour of tourist is also believed to be a significant reason that contributes to detrimental effects on the environmental attributes. The different mindset of tourist derives from the different level of environmental literacy that they have. The concept environmental literacy that consists of not only knowledge on the environment and its issues but also includes disposition components of attitudes, sensitivity and motivation are discussed thoroughly. Intention to act or intended behaviour that is explored in this paper would be the concept of willingness to pay for the environmental attributes. The tourism industry in Sabah, home to some of the best diving and snorkelling sites in the world, is suffering. The four kidnapping incidents since the beginning of the year and the recent murder of a policeman have forced the authorities to impose a curfew off the waters of Sabah. Since the disappearance of MH 370 until the end of April, MAS has cut 10 flights from Shanghai to Sabah, while China Southern Airlines has cancelled 22 flights from Shenzhen and Chinese budget carrier Spring Airlines has axed 44 flights from Shanghai, according to reports.

Further falls in tourist arrivals and revenue may bring the industry to a near-collapse situation. Daniel Dougty, the immediate past president of Sabah Tourist Guides Association, says it is difficult to quantify how much Sabah tourism has been hit but tourism industry players like hotel operators, tour agencies and tourist guides are struggling. A number of tourist guides in Sabah have either changed carrier or are working part-time in another industry to supplement their income. Tour agencies have started selling their assets to stay afloat and many are contemplating closing their businesses.