Skip to main content

Tourism Development and Non-linear Change in Small Islands: Lessons from Perhentian Kecil, Malaysia.

Hamzah, Amran and Hampton, Mark P. (2012) Tourism Development and Non-linear Change in Small Islands: Lessons from Perhentian Kecil, Malaysia. Working paper. University of Kent (Unpublished) (KAR id:33372)

Abstract

Perhentian Kecil, located off the east coast of peninsula Malaysia, is predominantly a small-scale tourism destination, specifically for backpackers and independent travellers. Against the context of an aggressive drive by the state government to remove smallscale tourism development in favour of formal and high-end resorts, this paper examines the local responses to the exogenous factors that had threatened the equilibrium, and hence sustainability, of the tourism systems on the island. The paper draws upon a longitudinal study with multiple visits over an extended period since the mid 1990s. Using insights from Resilience Theory the paper argues that this island destination is an example of non-linear change rather than conventional resort evolution. The paper also discusses how the authors - as researchers - had to realign their research framework and approach to take into consideration the growing complexities of tourism development in small island destinations.

Item Type: Reports and Papers (Working paper)
Additional information: KBS Working Paper 246, University of Kent, February. [Co-published as Centre for Innovative Planning & Development Monograph 13 (2012), Faculty of the Built Environment Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.]
Uncontrolled keywords: backpackers; resorts; economic development; resilience; planning; island tourism
Subjects: G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GV Recreation. Leisure
Divisions: Divisions > Kent Business School - Division > Department of Leadership and Management
Depositing User: Catherine Norman
Date Deposited: 11 Mar 2013 16:50 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 10:10 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/33372 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

  • Depositors only (login required):

Total unique views for this document in KAR since July 2020. For more details click on the image.