Abstract:
Tourism industry has the potential to generate income, create employment, promote
development and strengthen linkages among different sectors in the country. But
there are some issues which revolve around developing the marine tourism sectors
such as insufficient facilities, accessibility, environmental damages, and cost.
Therefore, it is crucial to identify the potentials of an island as a center of marine
tourism from the perspective of the tourists who visit the island. This study was
conducted on Pangkor Island, a popular tourist island destination in Perak, Malaysia.
A survey questionnaire was distributed to 83 tourists who visited the island. Two
personnel at the Perak State Office in charge of the Tourism Sector were interviewed
to identify the challenges and strategies in developing the island as a major tourist
attraction. Despite the challenges, numerous strategies have been put in place to
develop this island as a center of marine tourism. The responses from the
respondents of the survey also agreed that Pangkor Island does have the potentials to
be developed into a major marine tourist center.
