In turn, they are likely to follow the travel patterns that they established in their youths. • The Malaysian tourism industry is still not organised to unlock the potential of youth tourism. Currently, there are few tour operators providing specialised travel packages for youths and youth-specific facilities and services such as youth hostels and student discount cards. Tour operators should link up with low cost carriers especially AirAsia, KTMB, etc. to provide exciting youth tourism packages.
Ultimately, there should be a youth hostel in every state in the country and tour guides should increase their product knowledge and proficiency in foreign languages. Ladies and Gentlemen, Lest we forget, youth tourism is nor solely about economic gains. In tandem with generating tourist arrivals, youth tourism is a powerful tool for the promotion of goodwill and peace among nations and communities, regional integration and cross cultural exchange. In addition, youth tourism can be used to empower youth, foster pride in the community, reduce social ills and revitalise as well as rekindle interest in our cultural heritage.
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity, once again to thank the organisers of this conference for their initiative and wish you all a fruitful discussion in making youth tourism as a major target market segment. Tourism Malaysia stands ready to extend its fullest cooperation to make tourism the nucleus for socio-economic development and well being of the nation and community at large. Thank you.
The Term Paper on Tourism and Community Involvement
The co-relationship between tourism development and host communities has proven to be a powerful combination in deciding the possibility and future of tourism development in a given destination. Aref (2011) supplements that in spite of skills and awareness, the pace of tourism development at a destination is measured by how host communities perceive tourism development. Host communities are the ...
