Sustainable Eco-Tourism: From and For Community Development
Opening Ceremony of Seberang Perai International Conference on Ecotourism and Conservation Efforts, 8-9 October 2018
ECOTOURISM once defined as responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people (TIES, 1990). The definition addresses sustainability on two main points: environmentally and economically. Embracing this spirit, Seberang Perai Municipal Council (SPMC) organised the 2nd Seberang Perai International Conference on Ecotourism and Conservation Effort (SPICEC 2018), taking the theme Promoting Local Economic Development through Ecotourism. The Secretary General of UCLG ASPAC, was invited to attend the event that was conducted on 8-9 October 2018 in Penang, Malaysia. Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow of Penang in his welcoming speech highlighted the importance of Seberang Perai which had been neglected before saying, “The future of Penang is with Seberang Perai.� Supporting the effort, the Secretary General
stressed the benefits of ecotourism which contributes 95% of its earnings to the local economy. In addition, she put emphasis on the importance of the creativity and innovation that the city possesses, and also the fact that we can learn from every failure and success. In the effort to achieve the goal of promoting local economic development through ecotourism, discussion revolved around three clusters: 1) Tourism Management, 2) Community Based Tourism, and 3) Ecotourism/Sustainable Tourism. Discussion on Tourism Management focused on a customer-centric view. It was reflected in the discussion that addressed muslim-friendly tourism opportunities, the roles of bloggers in promoting food tourism destination, and also the significance of social responsibility from the customer’s standpoint. The management cluster also saw the importance of addressing the existing gap between education and ecotourism as well as taking a closer look at the relationship of marketing in tourism. The discussion acknowledged as well, the importance of heritage conservation as a foundation for city renewal and tourism attraction. In the more practical sphere, the discussion enlightened participants to lessons learned from Green Hotel implementation in Indonesia and Malaysia. There was also discussion on community-based tourism to optimise local natural potencies, such as the Kinabalu Park Rural Tourism Destination, Himalaya, Homestay at Kota Aur, and Birdwatching Homestay. The discussion analysed competitiveness, as well as ways of promoting local economic development. Moreover, participants were also invited to measure the economic impact, seek ways to balance concerns for local economic development and nature, and at the same time explore the roles of stakeholders and develop local community members as nature guides. The third cluster of discussion covered the topic of ecotourism/sustainable tourism. Participants were invited to learn best practices from other cities that have successfully developed sustainable eco-tourism, such as in Okinawa, Mai Po Nature Reserve, Kuala Muda – Teluk Air Tawar Coast, Pulau Pinang, and Seberang Perai itself. The ecotourism sites presented included wetland conservation, migratory waterbirds, and birdwatching, among many others. This forum successfully brought together industry players in tourism, hoteliers, tour agents, homestay operators, non-government organisation related to local economic development, natural conservation, conservators, craftsmen, avid travellers, planners, developers, academics, researchers, and government officials, providing room for them to align their visions, exchange knowledge, and even cooperate in achieving the shared goal: building sustainable ecotourism.