Exploring tourist perceptions of royal arts, culture and heritage in Kuala Kangsar, Perak

Zurina Ahmad Saidi, Zurinah Tahir

Abstract


Royal tourism, an emerging niche in cultural tourism, offers unique opportunities for heritage preservation and economic growth, particularly in royal towns like Kuala Kangsar, Perak. This study aims to explore tourist perceptions of Royal arts, culture and heritage in the Royal Town of Kuala Kangsar, Perak. Guided by the Experience Economy framework, the research employed a quantitative survey involving 500 domestic tourists, selected using purposive random sampling. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and supported by documentary analysis of government and tourism-related sources. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA and regression analysis were applied to explore patterns in tourist perceptions and experiences. Findings reveal that while tourists highly value the uniqueness and cultural richness of royal heritage elements such as the Royal Museum, Istana Iskandariah and traditional crafts, statistical analysis indicates that royal culture does not significantly predict the overall tourist experience (p > 0.05). This suggests a perceptual appreciation that may not directly translate into experiential satisfaction, indicating a possible gap between cultural presence and tourism engagement. The study contributes to the tourism literature by highlighting the nuanced role of royal heritage in shaping tourism experiences and identifying potential gaps in heritage presentation and tourist interaction. It offers practical implications for policymakers and tourism stakeholders in enhancing interpretive strategies, experiential design and promotional efforts for royal towns in Malaysia.

 

Keywords: Arts and culture, cultural heritage, domestic, Kuala Kangsar, royal tourism, royal town, tourist perception


Keywords


Arts and culture, cultural heritage, domestic, Kuala Kangsar, royal tourism, royal town, tourist perception

Full Text:

PDF

References


Abdullah, C. Z., Yahya, Z., Salleh, F., & Alias, B. (2015, December 16-17). Adat perkahwinan masyarakat Melayu, kesejajaran dengan nilai Islam: Kajian di Shah Alam. ICOMHAC2015 eproceeding (pp. 622-635), Pulau Langkawi, Kedah.

Akta Warisan Kebangsaan. (2005). Akta 645.

Ambary, H. M. (1991). Sumberdaya cultural Banten Lama: Potensi serta pemanfaatannya. Jurnal Arkeologi Malaysia, 4, 30-44.

Bandarin, F., Hosagrahar, J., & Albernaz, F. (2011). Why development needs culture. Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development, 1(1),15–25.

Bennett, T. (2015). Cultural studies and the culture concept. Cultural Studies, 29(4), 546-568.

Borg, J. V. D., Costa, P. & Gotti, G. (1996). Tourism in European heritage cities. Annals of Tourism Research, 23(2), 306-321.

Bourdieu, P. (1986). The Forms of Capital. In J. Richadson (Ed.), Handbook of Theory and Research for The Sociology Education. Greenwood.

Cohen, E. (2001). Etnic tourism in Southeast Asia. In Z. Wang (Ed.), Tourism, Anthropology and China (pp. 27-54). Longman.

Er Ah Choy. (2013). Pembangunan pelancongan lestari di Melaka: Perspektif pelancong. Geografia-Malaysian Journal of Society and Space, 9(3), 12-23.

Hsu, C. H. C., & Huang, S. S. (2015). Reconfiguring Chinese cultural values and their tourism implications. Tourism Management, 54, 230-242.

Joseph, P., & Gilmore, G. H. (1998). Welcome to the experience economy. Harvard Business Review, 76, 97-105.

Kayat, K. (2002). Exploring factors influencing individual participation in community-based tourism: The case of Kampung Relau homestay program, Malaysia. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 7(2), 19-27.

Krejcie, R. V., & Morgan, D. W. (1970). Determining sample size for research activities. Educational and Psychological Measurement 30, 607-610.

Leung, K., Bhagat, R. S., Buchan, N. M., Erez, M., & Gibson, C. B. (2005). Culture and international business: Recent advances and their implications for future research. Journal of International Business Studies, 36, 357-378.

Mahat, N. (2017). Royal Aesthetic Cityscape: Connecting Heritage Trails at Kuala Kangsar, Perak [Degree’s dissertation, Universiti Teknologi MARA].

Malcolm, D. J. (2004). Borrowed robs: The educational value of costumed interpretation at historic sites. International Journal of Heritage Studies, 10(3), 277-293.

McKercher, B., & Du Cros, H. (2002). Cultural Tourism: The Partnership Between Tourism and Cultural Heritage Management. Routledge.

Mohamad Nor, S., Bawazir, A. A., & Abdul Aziz, R. (2023). Case study on habitat, heritage, and handicrafts for indigenous tourism development in the Kuala Kangsar District, Malaysia. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 13(8), 265–275.

Mohamad Zaki Ahmad, Johan Afendi Ibrahim, Hood Mohd. Salleh. (2008, August 20-22). Membangunkan Kuala Kedah sebagai destinasi pelancongan warisan: Penerapan konsep pembangunan pelancongan lestari. Prosiding Kebangsaan Ekonomi Malaysia Ke III, Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan.

Mohamed Taib Osman. (2004). Adat Resam Masyarakat Melayu. Jabatan Perpaduan Negara dan Integrasi Nasional.

Mohd Yunus, N. M., Hj. Endut, E., & Said, S. Y. (2021). Cultural mapping and heritage trail in Kuala Kangsar. Journal of Social Transformation and Regional Development, 3(1), 24–31.

Mollegaard, S., & Jaeger, M. M. (2015). The effect of grandparents’ economic, cultural and social capital on grandchildren’s educational success. Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, 42, 11-19.

Musa, M. Z., & Rahman, N. H. S. N. A. (2010). Peranan budaya dalam mempromosikan keharmonian di Asia Tenggara. Jurnal Terjemahan Alam & Tamadun Melayu, 1(2), 183-189.

Nikmatul Adha Nordin & Rosilawati Zainol. (2013, July 2-3). Pelancongan, persepsi awam dan standard: Isu dan cabaran bagi Melaka sebagai bandaraya warisan bersejarah. Prosiding Seminar Warisan Kebangsaan, Hotel Ramada Plaza, Melaka.

Oatey, S. H. (2008). Culturally Speaking Culture, Communication and Politeness Theory (2nd ed.). Continuum.

Poria, Y., Butler, R., & Airey, D. (2003). The core of heritage tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 30(1), 238-254.

Poria, Y., Reichel, A., & Brian, A. (2006). Heritage site management motivations and expectations. Annals of Tourism Research, 33(1), 162-178.

Richards, G. (2001). Cultural Attractions and European Tourism. CAB International.

Ristevska-Jovanovska, S., Brzovska, E., & Bogoevska-Gavrilova, I. (2024). Experience Economy in Cultural Institutions: Arousal to Customer Loyalty. Conference Proceedings: Economic and Business Trends Shaping the Future.

Robinson, H. (1976). A Geography of Tourism. MacDonald and Evans.

Roders, A. P., & Oers, R. V. (2011). Editorial: Bridging cultural heritage and sustainable development. Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development, 1(1), 5-14.

Runnalls, C. (2007). Choreographing Community Sustainability: The Importance of Cultural Planning to Community Viability. Simon Fraser University.

Saidi, Z. A., Ahmad, H., & Jusoh, H. (2020). Characteristics of tourist segments in Royal Town of Kuala Kangsar. International Journal of Advanced Science and Technology, 29(3), 1027–1043.

Samsudin, M., & Mohamad, S. (2013). Pengaruh warisan sejarah dalam industri pelancongan Langkawi. International Journal of the Malay World and Civilisation, 1(1), 99-109.

Siti Salina, M. & Zuliskandar, R. (2018). Potensi pembangunan pelancongan berasaskan warisan di Bandar Hilir, Melaka: Analisis SWOT. Asian Journal of Environment, History and Heritage, 2(1), 253-265.

Smith, L. (2006). Uses of Heritage. London.

Syed Zainol, A. I. (1996). Pemeliharaan Warisan Rupa Bandar. Panduan mengenali warisan rupa bandar berdasarkan warisan Malaysia, Badan Warisan Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur.

Tuah, D. (2022). Sastera rakyat daripada perspektif kearifan tempatan dan potensinya kepada pelancongan budaya di Sarawak. Akademika, 92(2), 153-168.

Wiktor-Mach, D. (2019). Cultural heritage and development: UNESCO’s new paradigm in a changing geopolitical context. Third World Quarterly, 40(9), 1593–1612.

Yuszaidy. M.Y., Hanapi, D., & Ab Samad, K. (2013). Perlindungan harta warisan: Keberkesanan usaha pemulihraan dan pemeliharaan dalam pembangunan negara. Geografia-Malaysian Journal of Society and Space, 9(2), 64-77.

Zakaria, Z., & Ang, K. H. (2022). Pembangunan produk budaya Melayu sebagai sektor pelancongan di Malaysia. Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 7, 1-23.

Zeppel, H. (2002). Cultural tourism at the Cowinchan native village, British Columbia. Journal of Travel Research, 41(1), 92-100.


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.