Pembangunan program homestay di Wilayah Utara Semenanjung Malaysia: Profil, produk dan prospek (Homestay programme development in the Northern Region of Peninsular Malaysia: Profile, products and prospects)

Abstract

Program homestay ialah pelancongan berasaskan komuniti yang menawarkan kepada pelancong pengalaman alam semulajadi dan gaya hidup desa tempatan. Ianya merupakan program yang semakin menarik minat dan perhatian di Wilayah Pembangunan Utara Malaysia (WPUM) kerana kedayaannya menjadi pentas bagi melibatkan komuniti tempatan dalam usaha menyemarakkan potensi ekonomi sumber budaya tempatan dan memelihara alam sekitar. Kertas ini menampilkan dapatan kajian lapangan yang
meneliti pembangunan program homestay di WPUM. Program ini mengandungi 26 homestay (9 di Penang, 14 di Kedah dan 3 di Perlis) dan melibatkan 552 operator. Kajian mendapati bahawa kebanyakan operator homestay adalah terdiri daripada wanita berusia 40-60 tahun yang berkahwin dan berkeluarga serta mempunyai pendidikan menengah. Tarikan alam semula jadi utama ialah Gua Kelam dan Taman Herba di Perlis, pulau Pinang sendiri terutama sejak ianya di iktiraf oleh UNESCO sebagai warisan dunia, dan pulau bersejarah Langkawi. Tarikan budaya utama pula berkisar di sekitar gaya hidup Melayu utara terutamanya adat istiadat dan loghat tempatan. Kesimpulannya, program homestay menyerlahkan potensinya sebagai sumber penting pembangunan bagi WPUM sejajar dengan matlamat Plan Induk Pembangunan
Pelancongan Malaysia.

Katakunci: luar bandar, pelancongan, pembangunan komuniti, produk program homestay, profil program homestay, program homestay

The homestay programme is a form of community-based tourism which offers tourists the experience of local nature and rural lifestyle. It is a programme that is fast catching attention in the Northern Development Region of Malaysia as it serves as a platform for engaging the local community in harnessing the economic potentials of local cultural resources and preserving the environment. This article presents the findings of a field study which looked into the development of a homestay programme in the region. The homestay programme comprised 26 homestays (9 in Penang, 14 in Kedah and 3 in Perlis) and involved 552 operators. It was found that the majority of operators were 40-60 years old females, married with children and had secondary education. The main natural attractions were the Gua Kelam (the Kelam Caves) and the Herb Garden in Perlis, the Penang island itself especially since it has been recognised by UNESCO as a world heritage site, and the historic island of Langkawi. Major cultural attractions revolved around the lifestyle of the northern Malays in particular their customs and dialects. In conclusion, the homestay programme does have the potential to become a vital development resource for the region in line with the goals outlined in the country’s Rural Tourism Master Plan.

Keywords: community development, homestay programme, homestay programme product, homestay programme profile, rural area, tourism