Empowering indigenous communities through participation in tourism

Abstract

This study explores the involvement of Malaysian indigenous peoples (Orang Asli) at both the individual and community level to analyse the impact of tourism development on the economic and socio-cultural aspects of their communities. The study was conducted at two tourism sites, Bukit Tadom and Cameron Highlands. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 participants from the Orang Asli community and Orang Asli employees and management at the sites. Data were thematically analysed. Orang Asli communities recognised the opportunities that tourism development brings to their social and economic conditions, although it is not wholly beneficial. They also want to be actively involved in tourism planning. The study contributes to the development of indigenous peoples, especially in Malaysia, promoting a new perspective on long-term tourism development. It also highlights several new considerations that should be addressed by the authority in planning and managing tourism sites, especially in regard to community acceptance, involvement and demand for benefits.

Full text

Int. J. Tourism Anthropology, Vol. 7, Nos. 3/4, 2019 309
Copyright © 2019 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.
Empowering indigenous communities through
participation in tourism
Nur Aliah Mansor and Mazne Ibrahim
Faculty of Hospitality, Tourism and Wellness,
Universiti Malaysia Kelantan,
Kota Bharu, 16100, Kelantan
Email: aliah.m@umk.edu.my
Email: mazne@umk.edu.my
Siti ‘Atikah Rusli
School of Hospitality,
Sunway University,
Sunway, 47500, Malaysia
Email: atikahr@sunway.edu.my
Derweanna Bah Simpong*,
Nurul Fardila Abd Razak,
Harnidah Samengon,
Nurashikin A Ridzuan
and Nur Azimah Othman
Faculty of Hospitality, Tourism and Wellness,
Universiti Malaysia Kelantan,
Kota Bharu, 16100, Kelantan
Email: derweanna@umk.edu.my
Email: fardila.ar@umk.edu.my
Email: harnidah@umk.edu.my
Email: nurashikin.ar@umk.edu.my
Email: azimah.o@umk.edu.my
*Corresponding author
Abstract: This study explores the involvement of Malaysian indigenous
peoples (Orang Asli) at both the individual and community level to analyse the
impact of tourism development on the economic and socio-cultural aspects of
their communities. The study was conducted at two tourism sites, Bukit Tadom
and Cameron Highlands. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14
participants from the Orang Asli community and Orang Asli employees and
management at the sites. Data were thematically analysed. Orang Asli
communities recognised the opportunities that tourism development brings to
their social and economic conditions, although it is not wholly beneficial. They
also want to be actively involved in tourism planning. The study contributes to
the development of indigenous peoples, especially in Malaysia, promoting a
new perspective on long-term tourism development. It also highlights several

310 N.A. Mansor et al.
new considerations that should be addressed by the authority in planning and
managing tourism sites, especially in regard to community acceptance,
involvement and demand for benefits.
Keywords: community; participation; indigenous; tourism; community
participation; Orang Asli; Malaysia; rural; empowerment.
Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Mansor, N.A., Ibrahim,
M., Rusli, S.A., Simpong, D.B., Razak, N.F.A., Samengon, H., Ridzuan, N.A.
and Othman, N.A. (2019) ‘Empowering indigenous communities through
participation in tourism’, Int. J. Tourism Anthropology, Vol. 7, Nos. 3/4,
pp.309–329.
Biographical notes: Nur Aliah Mansor is a Lecturer in the Faculty of
Hospitality, Tourism and Wellness at the Universiti Malaysia Kelantan.
She received her Master’s degree in Hospitality Management from Universiti
Teknologi MARA in Shah Alam, Malaysia. Her interest is in collective
behaviour, agency and social identity, and her main research area is East Asian
studies.
Mazne Ibrahim is a Lecturer in the Faculty of Hospitality, Tourism and
Wellness at Universiti Malaysia Kelantan. She earned a BSc in Hotel
Management from Universiti Teknologi MARA, and a MSc in Tourism
Planning from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. To date, she has conducted
research on religious tourism and the hotel business. Her research interests
include hospitality and tourism innovation and product development.
Siti ‘Atikah Rusli is a Lecturer in the School of Hospitality at Sunway
University, Malaysia. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Food Service
Management and a Master’s degree in hospitality management from Universiti
Teknologi MARA. She has taught subjects in the area of hospitality in both
private and public universities. Her research interest is in Islamic tourism,
pro-poor tourism and service quality.
Derweanna Bah Simpong is currently a Senior Lecturer and Head of the
Hospitality Department at the Faculty of Hospitality, Tourism and Wellness,
Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK). She has been involved in several
consultancy projects in indigenous tourism. Her research interests are
hospitality management, gastronomy and culinary tourism, food and service
management.
Nurul Fardila Abd Razak is a Hospitality Lecturer in the Faculty of Hospitality,
Tourism and Wellness at Universiti Malaysia Kelantan. She earned a BSc
and MSc in Food Service Management from Universiti Teknologi MARA.
Her research interests include gastronomy and culinary tourism and food
service management.
Harnidah Samengon is a Lecturer in the Faculty of Hospitality, Tourism and
Wellness at Universiti Malaysia Kelantan. She earned a BSc in Hotel and MSc
in Hospitality Management from Universiti Teknologi MARA. To date, she has
conducted research on technology in hotels and hotel business management.
Her research interests include hospitality innovation and technology and
service recovery in the hospitality and tourism sector.
Nurashikin A Ridzuan is a Lecturer in the Faculty of Hospitality, Tourism and
Wellness at Universiti Malaysia Kelantan. She earned a BSc in Hotel

Empowering indigenous communities through participation in tourism 311
Management and Master in Hospitality Management. Both from Universiti
Teknologi MARA (UiTM). To date, she has conducted research on tourism and
indigenous studies. Her research interests include education and technology
innovation in the hospitality and tourism industry.
Nur Azimah Othman is a Lecturer in the Faculty of Hospitality, Tourism and
Wellness at Universiti Malaysia Kelantan. She received a diploma and degree
in culinary arts and Master in Gastronomy from Universiti Teknologi MARA.
She has been with the Garde Manger Department, Langkawi Lagoon Resort,
where she was the Commis II. Her research interests include culinary arts,
hospitality, and food innovation.
1 Introduction
Tourism can be seen as a means of empowering local communities, especially indigenous
people. Political, psychological and social aspects are involved in empowering
indigenous communities, resulting in the people achieving greater economic results,
through trust, social cohesion and political influence in acquiring and controlling their
own land (Weaver, 2010). Empowering indigenous communities includes acknowledging
the community as an entity with lawful land ownership rights, and creating rules and
procedures for implementing those rules (Sofield and Li, 2007). Tourism development
can bring many positive economic benefits to an area through the generation of income
and employment opportunities from the development of infrastructure such as sealed
roads, hotels, lodges and resorts (Ghazali et al., 2006). However, there is still a long way
in ensuring the benefits to indigenous people.
In Malaysia indigenous people are known collectively as Orang Asli. According to
the Department of Orang Asli Development (JAKOA), the 18 subgroups represent 0.7%
of the population of Peninsular Malaysia. The Orang Asli are heterogeneous and
diversified in language and culture (Kamaruddin and Jusoh, 2008). However, they are
relatively poor, and marginalised socio-economically and culturally. They live in areas
isolated from the civilisation and modernisation commonly seen in cities.
Tourism is regarded as a feasible way to promote rural economic development,
especially among Orang Asli. Rasoolimanesh et al. (2018) argued that Orang Asli
involvement in tourism development benefits the local communities. Through this
development process, various socio-cultural elements, including their domestic economy,
household income, education, religious beliefs and cultural aspects, have changed
(Simpong et al., in press).
As tourism involving indigenous communities has been steadily growing around the
world, so the Orang Asli communities in Malaysia have encountered such growth
(Simpong et al., in press). Indeed, the growing number of private management companies
has developed rural areas in Malaysia into tourism sites. However, as with other tourism
development, indigenous community involvement should be supported by standards of to
ensure feasible advancement and the use of natural resources (Carr et al., 2016).
According to Jaafar et al. (2017), providing additional possibilities for the local
community enables people to leverage their own resources and decision making in their
daily activities. However, these changes also have drawbacks, including excessive water
usage and adverse effects on communities (Mtapuri and Giampiccoli, 2017).

312 N.A. Mansor et al.
Therefore, further investigation into the impact on local communities of tourism
development should be undertaken. Several studies on Orang Asli communities living
close to tourist sites, including their economic prosperity and improved socio-economic
well-being, have already been carried out (Thompson-Carr, 2013; Lemelin et al., 2013;
Carr et al., 2016). Development of tourism sites should encourage not only the monetary
prosperity of indigenous groups and the preservation of their social traditions, but it
should also guarantee an opportunity for upgrading their society and lifestyles (Amoamo
and Thompson, 2010).
Local development of tourism sites can also provide an alternative to mass tourism
(Rasoolimanesh et al., 2018), although involving the local community and their
perceptions of proposed changes; local communities sit at the core of rural tourism, and
thus, it is necessary to understand the extent of their involvement in tourism
development. Knowledge about the relationship between tourism development and the
community would be beneficial, and reduce the potential for negative impact on local
people. Currently, little is known about Orang Asli community involvement in tourism
development in Malaysia (Simpong et al., 2016).
This study investigates the involvement of Orang Asli communities in two tourism
sites in Malaysia: Bukit Tadom and Cameron Highlands. It first explores Orang Asli
involvement at both the individual and community level and analyses the economic and
socio-cultural impact of tourism development on Orang Asli communities. Secondly, it
investigates the empowerment among local residents, especially the Orang Asli, through
the development that has taken place within the selected tourism sites. The study provides
empirical evidence through comparative research to provide a better understanding of
Orang Asli communities.
2 Literature review
2.1 Tourism and indigenous communities
Tourism had been introduced as a platform to increase indigenous people’s involvement
at both regional and national levels (Knight and Cottrell, 2016). In rural indigenous areas,
it is seen as a means of sustainable development (Campón-Cerro et al., 2017; Muresan et
al., 2016). From the tourism perspective, its activities have different impacts on the fiscal,
environmental, cultural and societal status of the destination (Chang et al., 2018).
Tourism can be steered towards improving indigenous economic welfare by
developing a symbiotic relationship between tourism, indigenous peoples and natural
areas (Stronza and Gordillo, 2008; Zeppel, 2006). Empirical evidence has shown that
tourism-generated income promotes diversification of domestic household income and
risk management (Lapeyre, 2010; Lepper and Schroenn Goebel, 2010). According to
Mbaiwa and Stronza (2010), tourism has become the primary livelihood activity of
member communities, replacing various traditional and cultural activities that adversely
affected the environment (e.g., hunting, gathering, livestock, crop farming). The income
from tourism activities has helped to improve indigenous communities’ welfare such as
improving the water supply and providing homes for many families residing within
indigenous communities (Mbaiwa and Stronza, 2010).
Tourism delivers many advantages to the local society, for example, taking care of
the eco-system, developing the country’s economy by providing foreign exchange

Empowering indigenous communities through participation in tourism 313
earnings that enhance the living standards of local people, considering regional
development, reducing waste and minimising the negative impacts to the environment.
Nevertheless, tourism can still have a negative impact on society when it is poorly
organised, including negative cultural changes, severe environmental degradation and
reduced welfare of individuals or local communities (Matthews, 2002). Here, several
studies have suggested that inequality may be characterised by distribution of the benefits
from tourism among different stakeholders involved in tourism development (Bookbinder
et al., 1998; He et al., 2008). This is especially true in developing countries, in which
strong economic opportunities encourage the rapid growth of tourism with little
restriction. Powerful economic opportunities pose a threat if they offer big rewards, and
developing countries frequently turn land ownership over to public, private and
international developers by legal or illegal means (Duffy, 2000; Griffin, 2002). Despite
the rapid development of tourism, indigenous peoples have received little benefit.
In fact, the involvement of local indigenous communities in tourism activities in
Malaysia has been minimal. This was supported in a study by Lim and Woon (2006),
who found that only a small number of Orang Asli communities had been engaged in the
tourism industry, mostly working as unskilled labour in hotels, waiters in restaurants,
salespersons selling souvenirs and performing other odd jobs. By playing a more active
role, local communities could contribute positively to the development of tourism, given
their excellent knowledge of the tropical forests, flora and fauna; their understanding of
forest resources over generations can be shared with both local and international tourists.
Even though tourism activities can serve as tools to develop and fulfil the needs of
indigenous communities, more substantial economic and political changes are needed,
especially in the role of government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
(Sofield and Li, 2007; Zeppel, 2006). A clear legal definition of land ownership and
management of indigenous communities by the government authorities is needed to
protect indigenous communities, their homes and conservation of the areas.
2.2 The socio-cultural and economic impact of tourism development
Sustainable tourism activities are an appropriate economic activity for indigenous
communities as they are in accordance with the traditional socio-cultural and
environmental practices and protection of their land (Whitford and Ruhanen, 2016). The
interaction between local communities and tourists has both positive and negative effects
for the economic, cultural and societal status of the destination (Chang et al., 2018).
In Malaysia, the effect of Orang Asli involvement in tourism development is apparent
in both Cameron Highlands and Bukit Tadom since both sites are known as popular
Orang Asli settlements. According to Fletcher et al. (2016), Orang Asli in Bukit Tadom
have gained many benefits in terms of employment activities provided by tourism
development. This is also the case for Cameron Highlands’ Orang Asli, whose social
income is believed to have increased through the number of tourist visits to their locales
(Mohd Ariffin and Mohd Irwan Yen, 2017).
A number of scholars have discussed the impact of tourism on surrounding areas, and
whether it is beneficial or undesirable (Peters et al., 2018). Numerous studies have
discussed the relationship between economic and socio-cultural impacts in hosting
communities, and centring on the effects on income and employment (Peters et al., 2018;
Chang et al., 2018). The Orang Asli are no exception; the effects have resulted in the
transformation of their socio-economic standards.

314 N.A. Mansor et al.
According to Latip et al. (2018), tourism has positive impacts on indigenous
communities, including poverty reduction. In the context of indigenous participation in
the tourism industry, the impact is of mutual benefit, creating desirable tourism
experiences for international markets (Rasoolimanesh and Jaafar, 2016; Latip et al.,
2018). However, as much as tourism development’s impact has been widely investigated,
the literature suggests that its impact depends on local conditions. According to Lapeyre
(2010), rapid development has brought fewer benefits to indigenous communities than
expected, due to poor planning and little knowledge of the readiness factors among these
groups. Although changes do occur, they are at a slow pace. However, tourism
development still has an impact on poverty, and the gap in education and migration
among indigenous peoples.
In addition, the social, lifestyle and cultural preservation status of these indigenous
communities is affected by the development of tourism (Salleh et al., 2013). Several
publications have suggested that there is renewed interest in the effects of tourism,
indicating the transformation of local residents’ self-identity as a significant socio-
cultural impact (Chang et al., 2018; Mohd Ariffin and Mohd Irwan Yen, 2017; Fletcher et
al., 2016). Identity transformation involves the relationship between tourists and local
residents, as well as external forces (Nunkoo and Gursoy, 2012; Xue et al., 2017).
Many of these communities continue to remain as hunters and gatherers, largely
dependent on the land, rivers, and forests as their main source of sustenance and survival.
On the other hand, modernisation has brought about changes to some of these
communities, improving their education and livelihood but at the risk of losing their
traditional skills. As such, Orang Asli cultures are being taken away from the natural
habitat on which they rely for their subsistence, and their villages are being encroached
upon. The tourism industry must therefore find a balance between economics, the
ecosystem and social equity.
2.3 Community involvement and collaboration with government and NGOs
A community is crucial in tourism development process (Curcija et al., 2019). Likewise,
community participation aimed at bringing together various actors in solving problem
and making decision at community level (Idziak et al., 2015; Xu et al., 2019). The extent
of community tourism participation also depends on several factors, such as knowledge
and collaboration between government and local communities (Zamil, 2011). Community
involvement aims to uphold the local culture and tradition and contributes to knowledge
and skill sharing, and is believed to be a mechanism for empowering people to participate
actively in community development (Aref et al., 2010).
The value of community participation in tourism development only recently been
recognised. Many tourism development projects are carried out by large multinational
companies and have little considerations on social and economic conditions of the local
communities. Many disregard local communities in the initial tourism planning. This has
caused resentment among community members and unwilling to take part in the tourism
activities as they excluded in the process of tourism planning (Thetsane, 2019). Their
refusal can cause backlash to the long-term economic benefits of tourism. There are
community members that have to give in to development even though they initially
disagreed with resort development on their land (Tonnaer, 2016). Moreover, indigenous
communities have lost their tourism competitiveness as a result from excessive
interference of re-development by the government.

Empowering indigenous communities through participation in tourism 315
Indeed, local communities should be included in tourism planning and management
(Alshboul, 2016). A study conducted on indigenous people carried out in the Chatham
Islands experienced no spending among the tourists. Indigenous people wanted tourist
that are young and enthusiastic who would be willing to spend their money (Cardow and
Wiltshier, 2010). However, researchers have found that few indigenous people refuse to
adapt and accept tourists has resulted to less spending. Therefore, it is necessary for
indigenous community to engage in tourism activities in order to achieve healthy tourism
growth.
Hence, to ensure the success of tourism development, Alshboul (2016) suggested that
government collaboration with NGOs and stakeholders is necessary for sustained growth
of the sectors. According to Bramwell (2011), cooperation between tourism stakeholders
is a topic of growing interest among researchers and managers as it is a key aspect of
public administration and tourism policy making. Bordas Rubies (2001) highlighted the
benefits of NGO and government involvement in tourism development as contributing to
improvement of the social and economic conditions of the tourism destinations.
However, past studies (Dola and Mijan, 2006; Eshliki and Kaboudi, 2012) have argued
that local community participation in tourism activities is low in developing countries.
Saarinen and Lenao (2014) have highlighted the negative aspects of collaboration,
including quality and cost disputes.
A study was carried out in the village of Andavadoaka, Madagascar, where the
village has experienced a rapidly expanding tourism sector run by foreigners. The relative
boom of the village as an emerging local commercial and societal centre was further
intensified by the arrival and settlement of migrants from nearby villages (Picard and
Moreira, 2016). These foreigners have held important positions in local organisations and
active in tourism and conservation sectors. As a result, the villagers struggled to maintain
their claim to political power, land and wealth. The members of the village desperately
tried to engage with foreign tourism investors to create a privileged relationship yet
ended up being dispossessed of the land they occupied after signing off a note allowing
the foreign investors to claim the land (Picard and Moreira, 2016).
2.4 Empowerment of the Orang Asli communities through tourism
development/participation
Empowerment is a continuous multifaceted societal transformation process, from a state
of being poor and oppressed to a more position of power and control over one’s wealth
(Movono and Dahles, 2017). Empowerment is a transition from passivity to a more active
role, taking control over one’s own life, fate, and environment (Boley and McGehee,
2014). In this context, empowerment in its most fundamental sense defines the capacity
of individuals, organisations, and societies to manage their affairs (Boley et al., 2017;
Ramos and Prideaux, 2014).
Empowerment consists of four dimensions: economic, psychological, social and
political aspects; these stress the value of control and benefit-sharing of tourism
development by local communities (Movono and Dahles, 2017; Boley et al., 2017).
Economic empowerment enables the community to reap the economic benefits of tourism
in any particular area (Boley et al., 2017). The psychological aspect focuses on the
capacity to build or reduce the pride and self-esteem of residents, perhaps making them
feel inferior (Boley et al., 2017). On the other hand, social empowerment is an essential
requirement for local economic development as it helps people come together to work

316 N.A. Mansor et al.
towards common interests (Boley et al., 2017). Finally, the political standpoint of
empowerment illustrates the importance of participation in which the whole community
feels well represented, with opportunities to share their concerns about the growth of
tourism (Boley et al., 2014).
Community empowerment is a catalyst to the development of community welfare
through tourism, which is capable of alleviating poverty through individual-level
empowerment (Knight and Cottrell, 2016; Sutawa, 2012). Community engagement in
tourism activities is projected to benefit economically and socially to pursue a rewarding
life (Boley et al., 2017; Sutawa, 2012). Ideally, the community empowerment mechanism
transforms them into proactive individuals, able to take decisions and execute all them
individually or in a group, using local resources to improve their health and wealth
(Sutawa, 2012). Community empowerment increases the capacity to improve their
quality of life and to educate their children (Knight and Cottrell, 2016).
3 Methods
Two tourism areas were selected for the study: Cameron Highlands and Bukit Tadom
(Figure 1). Cameron Highlands is a district in Pahang that has long been one of the most
popular mountain resorts in Malaysia, while Bukit Tadom in Selangor was developed as a
tourism site only in 2015. The two communities explored are Kampung Sungai Ruil and
Kampung Orang Asli Bukit Tadom, home to Orang Asli Semai and Orang Asli Temuan,
respectively.
Kampung Sungai Ruil is in a prime tourism development area in Cameron Highlands.
Cameron Highlands was developed as a hill resort in 1925, and the Kampung was
established in 1949. The Orang Asli Semai are among the more modern of Orang Asli
through their opportunity to socialise with other communities in Cameron Highlands
early on, with early exposure to local and international tourists.
There are fewer written records available on the Orang Asli Temuan, even though
they are the fourth largest Orang Asli group in the country, with a population of about
30,000. The settlement of Bukit Tadom is located 20 km from the Malaysian
administrative capital Putrajaya, although it has only come to the attention of tourists
since the development of a resort in 2015.
The fieldwork was conducted in February 2018 at both tourism sites (resorts) and
villages. The researchers were granted access to the resorts and given permission to
interview management. With help from JAKOA Malaysia, they gained access to Tok
Batin (the village head) and were granted permission to enter the village for fieldwork
among the villagers.
Semi-structured interviews were held, based on previous community participation
studies (Xu et al., 2019; Kunjuraman and Hussin, 2017). The interviews were conducted
with 14 participants, seven from each site, and included Tok Batin, villagers who were
employees of the resorts, and resort management. The interviewees were selected
because they were considered capable of providing rich, detailed and reliable information
regarding the tourist development. The villagers were identified with the support of Tok
Batin, who has comprehensive knowledge of the development of tourism in the area.
The resorts’ management helped to identify Orang Asli employees.

Empowering indigenous communities through participation in tourism 317
Figure 1 Location of Bukit Tadom and Sungai Ruil (see online version for colours)
Source: Google Maps (Accessed 14 February, 2020)
The average duration of the interviews was 55 min. Interviews were conducted in Malay
to suit the communication styles of the participants. Interview data were recorded,
transcribed and analysed using Malay since, according to van Nes et al. (2010),
translation is an interpretive act in which meaning may be lost in the translation process.
However, after the analysis the results were translated into English with consideration
given to the best possible way to represent the participants’ understanding and
experience. To ensure the reliability of the data, the transcripts were sent to the
participants for confirmation. The transcript data were analysed using ATLAS.ti for
coding and theme development. The final stage involved reporting and discussing the
findings in relation to the research questions.
The data gained from the interviews were classified according to several themes.
Each theme is discussed and supported with examples from the responses provided by the
interviewees.

318 N.A. Mansor et al.
4 Results
4.1 Collaboration and involvement in knowledge sharing, energy and ideas to
preserve nature through a partnership with NGOs and state government
Based on the information from the interviews, Orang Asli collaboration and involvement
in the tourist sites include knowledge sharing, energy and ideas to preserve nature
through a partnership with NGOs and state government. The majority of participants
stressed the importance of community involvement and sharing knowledge in the
conservation of tourism sites. In addition, with Orang Asli collaboration and
involvement, the authorities can not only preserve the site but also promote cultural and
economic aspects in both areas. The following comments set out the opinions of several
community members and draw attention to the role of the local community in the
development of tourism sites:
Before this site was known to the tourists, Tok Batin and I had to take a look
around and discuss with respected authorities where it leads to the collaboration
which turn this place into a well-known tourism site. (Bukit Tadom
Community, Informant 1)
With regard to contributing to improved tourism, we are here to give more
ideas on how to make the resort better and more prosperous; for example, I
suggested a fish pond so that the tourists can feel the biggest fish… (Bukit
Tadom Community, Informant 1)
...actually what has been done by us to improve this site includes... promoting
culture from our handicrafts, from history...history from our places, from
lifestyles… (Bukit Tadom Community, Informant 2)
They told us, the night market is temporary…when the place is ready later, the
night market will move there. (Cameron Highland Community, Informant 4)
These community members are actively involved in promoting and preserving the tourist
areas. A number of Orang Asli community members now welcome and accept tourism
development, even those members who were against the idea in the beginning:
...we have planned our community economy, and we village folk agree the JKK
(reference to village leadership) plan gives a good income... (Cameron
Highlands Community, Informant 2)
...at first … some did not agree with concerns regarding safety, noise pollution
and so on...but now, it has been three years since the resort operated here, the
situations Alhamdulillah (God)…which mean…people accept it… (Bukit
Tadom Community, Informant 3)
Most of the Orang Asli in the study areas are opting for a better lifestyle, as Orpia (2014)
suggested. Typically, the residents choose to be involved in tourism as they believe it
might bring in a good income, promote their cultural heritage and provide a better
lifestyle (Orpia, 2014). The study also showed community acceptance of development as
a sign of trust and networking where the community is expected to help and look for
positive outcomes. Reggers et al. (2016) highlighted public engagement as increasing
recognition of regional collaboration, confidence and networking, a key ingredient in
providing the right conditions for successful growth of tourism.
From the interviews, Orang Asli Bukit Tadom appeared to have a clear written
agreement with conditions for their land lease with the resort developer. The agreement

Empowering indigenous communities through participation in tourism 319
stated that the resort could not construct permanent buildings which would cause
environmental damage or infringe indigenous beliefs with to respect the land. Therefore,
the developer built chalets from bamboo, the traditional-building material of the Orang
Asli (Figure 2). This resort also offers work opportunities and free English lessons to
60% of the indigenous people who are working directly with tourists. The community has
experienced a positive change along with the resort’s development. This finding is
supported by Mohd Ariffin and Mohd Irwan Yen (2017), that active involvement of
Orang Asli in tourism development leads to a more welcoming local community and
translates into positive social change.
Figure 2 Bamboo chalets in the Bukit Tadom resort (see online version for colours)
Source: Tadom Hill Resorts Website (Accessed 15 February, 2020)
However, when Cameron Highlands was developed during the British occupation of
Malaya, no account was taken of the Orang Asli Sungai Ruil community. Currently, there
are over 1000 hotels and resorts in Cameron Highlands, owned by Malaysian and foreign
companies. Orang Asli Kampung Sungai Ruil was first perceived as a convenient local
source of labour. However, this proximity was also a problem as the resort managers
interviewed considered that the Orang Asli were not used to receiving instruction from
others, and did not take their work seriously, many quitting their jobs after only a few
months. Three Orang Asli employees agreed that they had quit at least once, but returned
to work after running out of money and needing to support wife and children responsibly.
Our study also found that community involvement has contributed to the use of
resources for promoting and preserving the sites. Nonetheless, Jamal and Stronza (2009)
called for local communities to be active in the growth of tourism in order to bridge the
gap between government and the use of resources in a tourist destination. The sense of
community, as described in the literature, creates an interdependent relationship between
the individual and the group. Some positively claim that the sense of community not only
establishes an individual’s sense of obligation and loyalty to other members of the

320 N.A. Mansor et al.
community, but at the same time generates common values, beliefs and interests among
individual members (Simpong et al., in press).
In line with this belief, the majority of respondents stressed that being part of the
community is an important element that cannot be ignored by any individual interested in
self-development in many areas. They stated that information on new opportunities,
projects by government and other agencies including business, and opportunities to go
further in various fields are normally channelled through the community leaders. The
information received centrally is disseminated and shared by members of the community,
to the benefit of individuals. This is the result of sharing knowledge with fellow
community members who are actively involved in community-level efforts to stimulate a
greater number of healthy businesses. In short, the ethnic communities’ activities clearly
override any negative aspects, creating a conducive environment of sharing general
interests, developing individuals’ specific interests and most importantly putting into
practice their plans. The interviewees said that:
My house is provided like this…all the wood, all this wall is from us, the roof
and pole from them…but others are from us; besides we are also responsible
for finding all the bamboo, for the wall. (Cameron Highlands Community,
Informant 3)
We promote culture, handicraft, history…history in place and lifestyle (Bukit
Tadom Commnunity, Informant 2)
As a result, the collaboration and involvement of Orang Asli in terms of knowledge
sharing, energy and ideas to preserve nature through partnerships with NGOs and state
government indeed play a significant role, confirming attributes highlighted in past
studies. This supports the claim that community participation is the creation of a
democratic system and a process that allows community members to participate actively
in their own growth (Levi and Litwin, 1986) as well as being willing to share and connect
(Aref et al., 2010). Thus, community involvement is not to be overlooked in the
development of tourism sites.
However, over-involvement by the government has caused losses to the traditions of
the Orang Asli. In 2011, Kampung Sungai Ruil was affected by a landslide and damaged
the settlement. The government took the initiative to grant ‘better’ homes for the people,
by building brick houses (Figure 3) to replace the traditional bamboo and wooden houses.
No doubt the community members were delighted to have better housing, with retaining
walls, electricity and clean water. They no longer have to gather bamboo, an increasingly
time-consuming process due to deforestation. However, the interviewees said that none
of the original houses had been preserved, destroying the authentic aesthetics of an Orang
Asli settlement which were a major tourist attraction in Cameron Highlands. The new
brick houses no longer retain the identity of an Orang Asli settlement, resulting in a rapid
decrease in tourists’ visits.
4.2 A more dynamic, knowledgeable and adaptive Orang Asli with respect to
new development, skills and resources as a result of training and
opportunity from the government
The effect of the growth of tourism on the social aspects of the Orang Asli community in
Bukit Tadom and Cameron Highlands involves creating a more diverse, knowledgeable

Empowering indigenous communities through participation in tourism 321
and adaptive population for the new development, both skilful and resourceful as a result
of government training and opportunities.
Figure 3 Brick house in Kampung Sungai Ruil (see online version for colours)
Source: Photo taken by the researcher
The Orang Asli further revealed that non-financial support is clearly seen in increased
access to training opportunities in tourism education. The Ministry of Rural and Regional
Development and JAKOA in collaboration with other agencies offer seminars and
courses, both as explanatory sessions for beginners, and for those already familiar with
travel and tourism who are seeking broader opportunities. Most of the Orang Asli stated
that the training courses they attended in various centres (e.g., Damansara Damai, Sungai
Buloh, Selangor, Paya Bungor, Pahang) not only increased their knowledge and
improved their skills but also opened their eyes to the world beyond.
The majority of interviewees agreed that the development of these tourism sites
brings positive attributes to the Orang Asli lifestyle:

322 N.A. Mansor et al.
Very good compared to last time…nowadays Orang Asli adopt to situations
and adapt to the environment, very good, very fast…very fast... (Bukit Tadom
Management, Informant 1)
We now have cooperation in the community to take good care of our
cleanliness … (Cameron Highlands Community, Informant 1)
Hence, the study suggests that the effect of tourism development has created Orang Asli
who are more dynamic, knowledgeable and adaptive towards new development, more
skilful and more resourceful. Nampila (2005) said that community participation in
tourism growth enhances people’s sense of control over issues that affect their lives and
also encourages self-confidence and self-awareness. These findings support the literature
(Aref et al., 2010) which implies that the aim of community participation is to promote
positive development towards community lifestyles.
4.3 Lifestyle changes towards urbanism and modernism
The findings also suggest that development of the selected tourism sites has created
lifestyle changes towards urbanism and modernism among Orang Asli, who are
sometimes regarded as belonging to other races through mixed marriage. The villagers
stated that they had experienced changes in their way of life:
Now I speak like KL people [Kuala Lumpur-referring to the capital city of
Malaysia]. (Bukit Tadom Community, Informant 3)
Our people before did not pay much attention to education…that is our
weakness that I don’t understand… (Cameron Highlands Community,
Informant 2)
…sometimes there are tourists who enter the village and speak ill about
us...They expected our culture to be the same as before...to be honest, last time,
maybe we didn’t wear clothes, now we have everything…I understand that
information sometimes doesn’t reached those people…when I know that the
information isn’t true, I will correct them…I now have income to support me
and my family... (Cameron Highlands Community, Informant 7)
These responses indicate that development of the tourist sites indeed brings positive
outcomes for the Orang Asli lifestyle. Although Jirojkul and Techato (2017) argued that
the tourism sector has negative impacts on the local community, the results of this study
suggest otherwise.
However, there is a risk of degradation of tradition. The Orang Asli of Bukit Tadom
take a proactive approach by integrating their handicraft-making skills (Figure 4) as one
of the paid activities at the nearby resort. This promotes their culture to the tourists and at
the same time preserves their skills among young generations since these activities
translate into immediate economic benefits.
On the other hand, the Orang Asli of Kampung Sungai Ruil were traditionally hunters
and gatherers, knowledgeable about the forest and mountains (ilmu hutan). However, this
knowledge is being lost among the young generation. One of the interviewees was
promoted from the maintenance department to the travel and tours department of a resort
in Cameron Highlands as he is well-versed in ilmu hutan. He takes tourists to Mossy
Forest and other parts of Brinchang Mountain in Cameron Highlands. However, none of
his children or nephews have inherited his knowledge, as they were sent away to
boarding school. Like him, many of the parents want a better education for their children.

Empowering indigenous communities through participation in tourism 323
Figure 4 Orang Asli Bukit Tadom explaining blowpipe construction (see online version
for colours)
Source: Bukit Tadom Facebook page (Accessed 14 February, 2020)
The results of the study indicate that the development of the tourist site has positive
results for the Orang Asli’s lifestyle, consistent with the literature, which indicates the
positive impact of the growth of tourism on the quality of life of the local community
(Uysal et al., 2016; Simpong et al., in press).
Furthermore, based on the findings, the Orang Asli are more flexible towards
modernisation and urbanisation, especially among the younger generation. During the
interviews, the majority of participants indicated acceptance of the development and
tourist arrivals in their community and the surrounding areas.
If for me, I think us (the community) are okay, plus they (tourist) came just for
relaxing their mind. (Cameron Highlands Community, Informant 1)
Even with modernisation, culture is still there… (Cameron Highlands
Community, Informant 3)
The findings indicate that the development of tourism contributes to the positive
improvement of the Orang Asli lifestyle, supporting an earlier study (Lee and Jan, 2019).

324 N.A. Mansor et al.
4.4 Improving economic status and household income of the orang asli
community through job opportunities and a priority status for them
The majority of interviewees believe that the growth of the Orang Asli tourism site has
improved their economic status and household incomes:
What is positive for me is, the landlord will get the benefit from the land which
used to support household… (Bukit Tadom Community, Informant 1)
Yes…in terms of job opportunities no problem… (Cameron Highlands
Employee, Informant 3)
Staff here… 80% is Orang Asli, 20% outsider, meaning that priority is given to
Orang Asli... (Cameron Highlands Management, Informant 1)
Yes..there is a change....as far as we know before this…majority of the staff
here were working as palm plantation workers...where their incomes are based
on the factory profit…which means if loss of profit their income will be less
and opposite compared to here (referring to working in the resort)… (Bukit
Tadom Management, Informant 2)
The positive attitudes towards the Orang Asli’s economic development support the
findings of several authors (Harron and Weiler, 1992; Mohd Ariffin and Mohd Irwan
Yen, 2017; Ridzuan et al., 2018) who emphasise the economic impact of tourism growth,
such as increased job opportunities, higher incomes and improved living conditions for
the community. However, equal opportunity in economic activities is still below other
communities in the area. One interviewee said:
...we are not doing business...there is no chance for us…the majority of the
night market sellers are Chinese and Indian...they owned plantations, their own
gardens... the majority of villagers are employed in private and government
sectors... none of us are doing business… (Cameron Highlands community,
Informant 7)
The findings are also consistent with a past study claiming that tourism development has
positive impacts, including improvement in local economic conditions, social and cultural
understanding and protection of environmental resources (Mihalic, 2016; Yolal et al.,
2016). Hence, the needs of local communities in the tourism growth process must be
carefully considered.
Therefore, based on our findings, tourism development has resulted in positive
outcomes for the Orang Asli communities in the sites selected for the study. The results
also support an earlier study; according to Idziak et al. (2015), community participation
can turn the passive attitude of the public into a proactive and constructive outlook,
encouraging entrepreneurial ventures, building partnerships and cooperation, cultivating a
spirit of unity and rejuvenating relationships between citizens, tourism destinations and
external stakeholders; thus, such participation will increase the potential for more
effective participation.
5 Conclusion
The tourism industry can have positive and negative effects on the local community as it
can affect the lives of members in a number of ways. Tourism may profit some local

Empowering indigenous communities through participation in tourism 325
communities through the overall growth of the area, but it may have a negative effect on
other communities.
Orang Asli Bukit Tadom are more conscious of the value of their land. They were
isolated from nearby communities before the development of the resort. They also
learned from previous the land ownership problems of the other Orang Asli communities,
and negotiated with resort developers to ensure economic sustainability and job
opportunities for the community. They have integrated Temuan culture into the resort
activities. However, there is still much to explore in the extent of authentic Orang Asli
traditions in tourism.
Community participation is therefore essential in order to improve the quality of
tourism’s contribution to national development. Indeed, providing deeper consideration
and understanding of suitable ways to encourage local involvement is crucial to a positive
impact in tourism site development. Therefore, government and local authorities are
advised to take the initiative to create more advanced collaboration with the community
in every tourism site development program. This will allow for a more comprehensive
understanding of the circumstances of the tourist site, based on community expectations.
Orang Asli communities presented in this study want to be proactively involved in
tourism development. However, there is lack of platform for tourism planning and
development discussion between government and developer with Orang Asli
communities. A more engaging communication channels will help the government and
local authorities developing the tourist sites to its full potential and improving community
lifestyles and the societal economy in the process.
This study has contributed towards the development of new perspectives in tourism
development among indigenous peoples, specifically in developing countries, which
indirectly opens new opportunities to study the effects of tourism development on the
selected sites from a long-term perspective. Meanwhile, the authorities benefit in
designing new strategies for future developments based on the findings of this report. The
study proposes new standpoints in terms of planning and policy perspectives by
suggesting considerations in regards to community acceptance, involvement and demand
for benefits. Therefore, supports sustainable development goals no. 10, to help reduce
inequalities within and among countries by providing Orang Asli with a capacity for
participation in tourism development, as well as fair and equitable distribution of
benefits.
There are still much to be known of the extent of Orang Asli participation in tourism,
such as their readiness for tourism development. As Orang Asli still own and occupy
many unexplored areas in Malaysia, and there is constant interest in commercial tourism
development, more in-depth study is needed in terms of land ownership, profit sharing
and the extent of involvement in tourism development projects in other Orang Asli
community.
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) Malaysia under
Fundamental Research Grant Scheme FRGS/1/2017/SS06/UMK/03/1.

326 N.A. Mansor et al.
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