Potensi Kuala Sanglang, Perlis sebagai destinasi agropelancongan: Satu kajian tanggapan pelancong (Potentials of Kuala Sanglang, Perlis as an agrotourism destination: A tourist perception study)

Abstract

Agropelancongan adalah cabang sektor pelancongan di mana aktiviti pelancongan adalah berteraskan pertanian, ternakan, perikanan dan industri asas tani. Kajian ini menilai potensi Ladang Nipah Kipli Kipli sebagai destinasi agropelancongan di Kuala Sanglang, Perlis berdasarkan persepsi pelancong, faktor penolakan dan faktor penarikan, dan mencadangkan langkah yang sesuai bagi memajukan seterusnya Ladang Nipah Kipli. Data primer diperolehi dari hasil soalselidik 80 orang pelancong yang disampel secara rawak mudah dan dianalisis dengan program SPSS versi 2.0. Hasil kajian menunjukkan bahawa Ladang Nipah Kipli ditanggapi oleh 95 peratus responden sebagai amat berpotensi untuk dijadikan destinasi agropelancongan. Kebanyakan pelancong berkunjung ke Ladang Nipah Kipli untuk menikmati keindahan alam semulajadi sambil menikmati minuman nira nipah segar yang dijual di dalam Ladang Nipah Kipli. Namun, masih terdapat masalah dari segi kekurangan kemudahan infrastruktur, tempat letak kereta yang kecil dan kekurangan tandas.Walau bagaimanapun, pelancong masih lagi ingin berkunjung ke Ladang Nipah Kipli memandangkan kawasan ini menarik dan berpotensi maju sebagai destinasi agropelancongan.

Katakunci: agropelancongan, alam semulajadi, infrastruktruktur, ladang nipah, pelancong, persepsi pelancong

Agrotourism is a tourism sub-sector which focuses on the agricultural elements of farming, livestock, fishery and agro-based industries. This study examines the potential of Nipah Kipli plantation as an agrotourism destination in Kuala Sanglang, Perlis by analysing tourist perception, and the pull and push factors, and suggests measures to ameliorate some of the main problems faced by the relevant authorities in harnessing the plantation‘s agrotourism potentials . Primary data were gathered from a quationnaire survey of 80 randomly sampled tourists which were analysed using the SPSS version 2.0 programme. The findings revealed that the Nipah Kipli plantation was perceived by 95 percent of the respondents as having a real potential to be an agrotourism destinastion. The majority of tourists visited the plantation in order to enjoy the beauty of nature while savouring fresh nipah fruit juice (nira) there. However, there were some issues yet to be overcome such as the lack of vehicle parking lots and wash rooms for the convenience and comfort of tourists, which, nonetheless did not distract from the potential of the place to be developed further into a proper agrotourism destination.

Keywords: agrotourism, infrastructure, nature, palm plantations, tourist, tourist perception