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Abstract
The tourism boom in East Peninsular Malaysia began in the late 1970s. The development of the tourism and hospitality industry has paved the way for the proliferation of many small and medium budget hotels (SMBHs) in this region. This study focuses on the marketing aspects of SMBHs in three urban cities in East Peninsular Malaysia. Marketing has then become a crucial dimension that the industry should explore further given the importance of customers in boosting the tourism sector. The uniqueness of each city is also a useful tourism product that can be maximized to attract tourists. This paper, based on a study of 48 SMBHs operating in East Peninsular Malaysia, concludes that the majority of the visitors of SMBHs are local tourists. The visitors are mostly groups of family, business people, teenagers, and those who are on family vacations. The purposes of the visit are mainly for day trips, short-term vacations, visiting friends and relatives, and business travel. These small-sized hotels usually receive assistance from the Tourism Ministry or the Tourism State Action Council. The website is the most popular technology used, whereas word-of-mouth, sign boards, and brochures are the most common advertisement methods adopted. These three cities are popular mainly for shopping and business activities, whereas the state of Terengganu is the most visited place for its cultural and historical landmarks.