Malaysian government tourism-related policies to make Malaysia a ‘foodie’ destination

Keywords: Tourism planning, Tourism policy, Food tourism, Malaysia
Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract
Day: Saturday
Session Start / End Time: 2/26/2022 03:40 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/26/2022 05:00 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 25

Abstract

National governments have designed plans and implemented policies aimed at diversifying their economies through tourism development. Some countries such as South Korea and Peru have specifically focused on developing food tourism to broaden their tourism offerings. This research examines the evolution of Malaysian tourism policy and food tourism development strategies over the last 50 years through the collection and analysis of the government’s tourism-related policies, destination strategic marketing plan, annual reports from government agencies, and marketing collateral. Given the important role played by the state in tourism development, this study provides insight into Malaysian government policies to diversify an economy heavily dependent on natural resource extraction to include tourism that was first based on nature and island attractions and then more recently expanding to offerings derived from Malaysia’s multicultural population such as its food. The country’s three major ethnic groups—the Malays, Chinese and Indians—created the broad foundations of Malaysian cuisine that government tourism policy initiatives have integrated into the destination experience. Government tourism initiatives have fostered food tourism development around the country, with variations and specialities in individual states shaped by the availability of food resources and by local food cultures. However given the similarity of Malaysian cuisine to cuisines found in Singapore and Indonesia, two of Malaysia’s major competitors for the tourism dollar, education is an important strategy for the continued strategic development of food tourism.