Case Study Ecotourism
Sarawak Malaysia
Tourism
is the fastest growing industries in the world, employing over 120 million
people. LEDC’s use tourism as an aid to develop their country. While tourism
can bring huge advantages such as employment, improvements to the
infrastructure of the country it has to be able to balance this with the
disadvantages tourism brings. Too much tourism can result in the harm to
natural environment and mass tourism can result in the loss of local cultures
and traditions. Ecotourism is the best way to develop tourism in areas which
are seen to be important to preserve.
ECOTOURISM: Is a form of tourism that is designed to
reduce harm to the environment (e.g. by attracting people to see its special
qualities without harming what they have come to see).
Malaysia is situated near the equator. It
has a tropical climate, it is hot all year round and has wet/monsoon seasons.
The area is perfect for growing rubber and producing palm oil. The capital of Malaysia is Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysia is a RIC (recently
industrialised country).
There
are two areas of the country, mainland Malaysia
and East Malaysia. East Malaysia is on an
island called Borneo and it is surrounded by the South
China Sea. Sarawak, East Malaysia borders with the countries Brunei, Sabah and Kalimantan (Indonesia). It is an ecotourism
destination and a place of outstanding beauty. It has some international hotels
positioned within the area which attracts ecotourists. The number of visitors
have to be controlled so to be able to preserve the very attractions that the
visitors have come to see.
More
than 30 ethnic groups live in Sarawak
including Chinese and Malay so there is a wide variety of culture and customs.
Two thirds of it land is covered on Nation Parks
Natural/physical features Human
features/activities
National
Parks
Caving
Bako is
the oldest NP
Jungle trekking
Tropical
rainforests Rock
climbing
Animals
– Proboscis monkey, Diving
Bearded
pigs, hornbills, reptiles Rafting/kayaking
Plants –
Orchids, Rafflesia (worlds largest
Mountain biking
Flower)
Gunung
Mulu (NP) is a World Heritage Site
Orang
utan sanctuary
The Iban Longhouse community
The Iban
tribe live in the Mulu
National park and tourism
has given the Iban community a new source of income. Tourists are transported
up the river by boatmen using a longboat and then stay in a traditional
longhouse. The tourists can go on a guided rainforest trek or travel further
into the rainforest by boat.
Effects of tourism in the Iban community
. Employment
for boatmen.
. The
Iban can work as tourist guides.
. Women
cook for visitors using local produce such as fish, eggs and home grown
vegetables.
.
Tourists help by bringing fresh produce from the local town market.
. Crafts
are sold to the tourists.
. Income
from tourists has paid for septic tanks which have improved sanitation and a
generator to provide some electricity.
. A
local ecotourist company has sponsored three of the Iban to train as teachers
providing education to the children who stay in boarding schools along the
river.
. The Iban
culture has been preserved.
. The
young Iban often leave to find work but return in their middle age, this increases
the extended family.
. The
Iban still have a sustainable way of life even though it is supplemented by the
income from the tourists.
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