Community involvement in rural tourism: a case of Kinabalu National Park, Malaysia

ABSTRACT

This paper explores levels of local community involvement in the tourism industry and identifies related constraints in Kinabalu National Park, Malaysia. A total of 378 questionnaires were completed by the respondents. The findings indicate that the majority of the respondents have been involved in the tourism industry and that tourism development has increased household income for local residents. However, the involvement of local residents in tourism activities faces several constraints, such as the lack of essential knowledge and skills related to the tourism industry. Moreover, some local residents were not involved in tourism because available jobs are seasonal, part-time, low paying, and low quality. The local authorities should consider methods for minimizing constraints to ensure long-term tourism development.

KEYWORDS:

• Rural tourism
• community involvement
• constraints
• Kinabalu National Park