Pendekatan strategik dalam pelancongan pendidikan di destinasi ekopelancongan di Wilayah Ekonomi Pantai Timur (ECER) ( Strategic approaches in educational tourism in ecotourism sites in the East Coast Economic Region)

Abstract

Abstrak

Pelancongan pendidikan melibatkan perjalanan ke sesuatu lokasi oleh sekumpulan individu untuk tujuan membina pengalaman secara terus. Pihak berkepentingan utama yang mempunyai kaitan secara langsung dalam melaksanakan aktiviti pelancongan pendidikan adalah dari badan kerajaan, badan bukan kerajaan dan institusi swasta, komuniti tempatan serta institusi pendidikan. Makalah ini membincangkan dua objektif utama. Objektif pertama adalah mengenal pasti konsep-konsep asas pembangunan ekopelancongan. Objektif kedua ialah mengenal pasti pendekatan strategik pihak berkepentingan dalam memberi kesan positif kepada golongan pelawat di destinasi ekopelancongan. Analisis kandungan digunakan dalam menilai pendekatan  pelancongan pendidikan di Wilayah Ekonomi Pantai Timur (ECER). Hasil kajian mendapati pihak berkepentingan menjamin pengalaman pembelajaran melalui pelbagai pendekatan insitu dan menjalin hubungan baik antara pelancong dan tuan rumah. Kesimpulannya kesemua agensi mengamalkan integrasi pembelajaran sambil beriadah, serta menjalankan aktiviti motivasi diri bagi menarik minat pelancong ke destinasi.       

Kata kunci: badan kerajaan, ekopelancongan, komuniti tempatan, pelancongan pendidikan, pembelajaran, pihak berkepentingan.

  Strategic approaches in educational tourism in ecotourism sites in the East Coast Economic Region

Abstracts

Educational tourism involves travelling to a location or destination by a group of individuals for the purpose of learning specific experiences. Besides educational purposes, visitors enjoyed leisure and have had been attended with quality tourism services. The key stakeholders who have a direct bearing on the conduct of tourism activities are the government agencies, non-governmental and private institutions, local communities and the educational Institution. This paper discusses two main objectives. The first objective is to identify the basic concepts of educational at the ecotourism sites. The second objective is to identify the strategic approaches utilized to ensure  positive learning of the sites studied.  The content analysis is utilized to access the extent of the tourism educational programmes in the East Coast Economic Region (ECER). The study found that stakeholders have played significant roles in ensuring a valuable learning experience for tourists and host communities. As a conclusion, all agencies involved have adopted integrated learning experiences with leisure, as well as motivational programme to ensure tourist arrival.  

Keywords: government agencies, ecotourism, local communities, tourism, educational tourism, learning, stakeholders.