Critical Investigation Essay

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Critical Investigation Essay
Introduction
This essay is a critical investigation of the destination tourism development with the
management of the challenges supposed to be common in the tourism development. This
essay will discuss the destination strategies utilized by the state of Penang, a state of Malaysia
and how it implements the strategy of “Malaysia, a truly Asia” to attract a large number of
tourists for the visits. Malaysia has a developed tourism industry supporting the development
of many other businesses in the country, with a structured form and focusing on the
development of many aspects related to tourism (Weiming, 2017). This essay will discuss the
strategies useful for the development of the tourism and destination strategies used to attract a
high number of customers form the domestic as well as form international borders. This
research is aimed to discuss in a critical manner about the sustainability impact of the tourism
and impact of the present challenges as it the spreading virus of corona and economic issues
within and outside of the country (Park, Ungson and Francisco, 2016). Many theories related
to examine the aspects related to tourism development in a particular area, like push and pull
strategy, destination strategy, and sustainability strategy. These strategies are discussed in this
essay with a detailed analysis of these theories in the tourism activities and its development in
a sustainable manner (Park, Ungson and Francisco, 2016).
Tourism strategies
Malaysia has a large number of tourist increasing regularly due to very effective features and
destinations it has to attract the tourist. Penang is one of the most attractive and tourist
destination place for the tourist that has increased the number of domestic and international
tourist as well (Sussman, 2017). Tourism Malaysia is the most focused and structured
industry that focuses to use is innovation and changes to contribute towards the development
of the country as the focus and to use the tourism activities to attain the corporate social

Critical Investigation Essay
responsibility of the environment in the country (Battour et al. 2017). Tourism Malaysia is
very focused on the plans it made with the aim to attain the target of 36 million arrivals by
the end of 2020. In general, Tourism Malaysia weights its contribution on major global
occupation shows and control on availability and connectivity and it pays higher importance
on digital marketing and enhance the use of the latest information technology in the
advertising of the country's tourism (Battour et al. 2017). Malaysia is has attained the 9th rank
in 2010 in United Nations World Tourism Organisations among the top ten most tourist
arrival countries in the world with 24.6 million tourist arrival. This was the biggest
achievement that it has the potential to attract a larger number of tourists across the world.
Important strategies used and planned by tourism Malaysia are: It will focus on the effective
use of the latest and developed information technology. It will take active participation in the
professional events, Outlook on the mega-events and Use of effective advertising means to
attract major areas of the tourist (Nugraha, Putri and Suprihanto, 2018).
Niche strategies
Penang with 63.9% is one of the states that recorded higher than national average occupancy
rate, with 6.4 million hotels guests one of the highest guest recorded states, it is the most
attractive destination for the tourist visiting to Malaysia and for the domestic passengers as
well. Penang is a Malaysian state situated on the northwest coastline of peninsular Malaysia
by the Malacca Strait. It is divided into two parts: Penang Island, it is the place of the capital
city, George Town another place is Seberang Perai on the Malay Peninsula. The Penang
Bridge and the Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge, one of the longest bridges in
Asia, connect these two places (Nugraha, Putri and Suprihanto, 2018). Penang is the second
smallest Malaysian state by land corpus, bordered by Kedah to the north and the east,
and Perak to the south. Penang is one of the most popular destinations of tourism in Malaysia
well known for its rich culture and world high-class unique heritage with a combination of

Critical Investigation Essay
the multicultural society, retail choices, a wide range of modern entertainment and natural
topographies such as seashores and hills, and the world-famous Penang cuisine. Destination
development targeting strategy for the development of the Penang in Malaysia focuses to
develop mean of the attraction for the tourists visiting the city this is niche strategy keep
focusing to develop the spa, multipurpose malls, and many other attractive spaces falling in
the push strategy for the sustainable development of tourism in the Penang. Support from the
government also provides a better platform for the development of destination strategy (Park,
Ungson and Francisco, 2016).
Culture and heritage
Penang has very attractive features attracting visitors, these features are related to a deep
level of the cultural values beliefs and practices of the particular place developing with the
development of time and place (Henderson, 2016). Reflection of the ancient and immortal
culture of Malaysia is presented in many forms including areas, building, dance, food, dress,
values, events, lifestyles, and handicrafts of the Penang. This rich culture is the key factor
that attracts the major number if the international tourist. These tourists especially involve the
writers, poets, documentary maker, and historians that have large interest to discover the
hidden values of the immortal tradition and culture. Many film celebrities’ also have a special
interest in the Penang as the best location to add the Malaysian culture touch in their movies
(Gayatravel, 2020). This is very profitable for the other business and living communities
because tourism is the sector it gives and takes in the exchange. Tourist visiting gets the
pleasure and memories with them and they return economic stability, popularity to a place
and provide means of the development at the highest level in the world (Gayatravel, 2020).
Hence, tourism is the means to secure the cultural importance of the country, as the
government makes an effective finical development plan for the better development of tourist
places to attract more tourists with the aim to popularise the place and earn economic stability

Critical Investigation Essay
or the country. Cultural tourism focuses on the development of the rural place tourism
because rural place is full of attraction and these are easy to maintain, marketing focusing the
destination development is very profitable for the tourism industry (Ormond and Sulianti,
2017).
Theories of the tourism development
This essay will discuss the development of the tourism activities based on the Plog, Cohen,
Doxey, and Butler model. These theories focus aspects covering the factors that attract a
tourist to choose any destination, behavioral impacts of the tourists and local people living at
the place of tourism, and impact of the tourism activities over the Penang and its local
community (Ormond and Sulianti, 2017).
Plog’s theory of tourism development identified by the Stanley Plog in the year 1973 focus
on the factors of the popularity of one place, Penang is one of the topmost visited place in
Malaysia and it has international popularity due to the two most popular bridges and its
topography features. Hence, it falls in the theory of Plog for the tourist attraction and
development (Tan, Chong and Ho, 2017).
Irridex model suggested by Doxey’s in 1975 is related to the tourism development lifecycle,
which includes the internal relation both tourist and tourist place exchange with each other,
and the impact of the local community over the visiting tourist. Irridex's model proposes that
communities pass through an order of responses as the influences of a developing tourism
business in their area become more conspicuous and their sentiments transform with
experience. These developments are recorded in the EUPHORIA, APATHY,
ANNOYANCE, and ANTAGONISM related to visitors changing behaviors. Butler's tourism
lifecycle includes the six stages Exploration, Involvement, Development, Consolidation,
Stagnation, and Decline of the tourism possibilities. These theories are helpful to manage the

Critical Investigation Essay
development of the tourism activities in the sector of the niche tourism as it includes the
involvement of the visitors, tourist behavior, development of the tourist activities changes in
the attitude and positive and negative impact of the activities on the tourist and local
communities both as well (Nugraha, Putri and Suprihanto, 2018).
Sustainability theories
Sustainable development is seen as the first priority of every business whether small or big,
private or government even operating in any sector has prior responsibility to manage its
operation in a sustainable manner (Ormond and Sulianti, 2017). The sector of tourism in any
country assume to be most profitable because it facilitates the development of a country’s
economy, increase international popularity, build string relationship and develop many means
of development for the country, in addition, it also affects the various stakeholder’s in a
negative manner (Lund-Durlacheret al. 2019). As tourism, activities cause damages to the
tourist place, issues to the local people and sometimes people facing any serious issues that
are possible to spread in other even by contact causes health issues to other countries
(Ormond and Sulianti, 2017).
For a better understanding a virus spreading across the world naming Coronavirus COVID19
which is spreading very fast due to tourists having infection roaming across the countries and
spreading the virus in the other courtiers, many people have lost their lives and many
countries have banned the entries of outsiders in the country for a temporary period. These
several decisions are possible to affect the development of tourism activities in the Penang as
well (Lund-Durlacheret al. 2019). Hence sustainable development of the place and tourism
industry includes the international scenario as well, it is more than just community but it
includes the health, wealth, safety, economy, political, society and economy development,
and maintenance activities as well. Challenges from the coronavirus COVID19 have affected

Critical Investigation Essay
the international tourism that international tourism is in the critical challenging situation,
infect domestic tourism are also affected by the infection (Fatma et al. 2016).
.
Stakeholders’ theory
This theory represents Cohen and Batelr’s model that represent the interpersonal relationship
between the tourists and stakeholders of the tourism industries. Major stakeholders of the
tourism industry are government, shareholders, tourism business, local communities, and
staff including the guides and hotels as well. This destination branding has provided many
benefits to the stakeholders, as the government has earned the economic stability with the
number of tourists increases result in the development of the economy of a country and it also
represents the improvement in international relations. Shareholders like profitable and non-
profitable organizations, banks, and institutions invested in the development of the tourism
activities are gaining a profitable return and equal value for their investment. Many other
local communities are getting better job opportunities due to increased tourism. Hotels and
other related businesses are also getting fast growth as they are exchanging something
profitable in the return with the development of tourism activities (Fatma et al. 2016).
. Truly Asia strategy
This is the strategy used by the Malaysian tourism and development industries to attract the
tourist from international borders and to sell the popular attractive place in the international
market. This strategy aims to present the diversified, ethnic, cultural and unique image of the
Penang and other statues to attract high tourism (Henderson, 2016). This strategy is an
excellent example of a target branding strategy with a dynamic and innovative approach. This
campaign is propelled in TV, radio, Flickr, Twitter, Facebook, and even YouTube and in the
promotional website adds at the airport hoardings as well. The effectiveness of this branding

Critical Investigation Essay
is in its ability in bringing the highlights of the place and with the making of beautiful
mixture. The main motive behind this unique ad campaign of Malaysia's truly Asia strategy is
to represent Multi-culture and cultural diversity of the country (Ormond and Sulianti, 2017).
Impact on the business
This unique ad campaign of Malaysia's truly Asia has resulted very profitable for the
development of the tourist activities in Malaysia. This campaign has a special identification at
the global level, growth of the Malaysian tourism increased rapidly because this ad campaign
represented the destination branding with the aim to attract domestic and international tourists
both. Representation of the cultural heritage and unique features of the place to the
international market aware the tourist and local communities support the development
because these tourists provide many benefits to these communities as well. Present break-
down in the tourism industry due to largely spreading harmful coronavirus is very risky
because it has impacted the sustainability of the tourism industry of the entire world.
Many counties as it China, Italy and many Asian and Gulf countries are facing high death
rates due to this largely spreading virus. This virus is newly recognized in humans, and it has
the capacity to spread even with the handshake hence it has adversely affected the tourism
industries due to prohibition guidelines issued by the countries worldwide to stop tourism
activities.
Conclusion
This essay is a critical investigation of the ad campaign used by the tourism industries of
Malaysia, which is “Malaysia, a Truly Asia,” this ad has been attractive for the tourist from
the international level. As this ad, represents Malaysia as true repetitive of the entire Asian
continent, representing the destination branding of the famous states like Kuala Lumpur is
best for the professional meetings and holidays at beach and Penang has traditional and

Critical Investigation Essay
cultural touch of the country. This ad has provided many benefits to the tourism industries of
Malaysia, as this essay concludes that Penang has an important place in the tours
development activities, but many challenges are possible to occur in the tourism activities.
These challenges are related to the sustainable development of the tourist activities in the
country, the aim of the campaign is to develop tourism, but tourism activities have a major
negative impact on the rural area and local community as well.
Present challenges of an economic issue, environmental issues, and most important infection
causing the threat at the world wide has affected the tourism industries very deeply and these
challenges are very critical to solve because international flights are banned in many
countries hence tourism industry is facing a most challenging global issue where tourism
activities are strictly banned. This all had affected the entire world and tourism and the
tourism at the Penang as well. Whether it is domestic or international, the tourism industry is
in a serious global issue that is very difficult to be solved now because the entire world is
fighting to save the human life right now.

Critical Investigation Essay
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Critical Investigation Essay
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Critical Investigation Essay
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