Exploring the Impact of Malaysia's Culinary Heritage on Tourism and Economic Development

Siti Nor Fadillah Ahmad Shariff; Massyittah Omar; Mohd Hairi Jalis; Maya Indriastuti

doi:10.21834/e-bpj.v9i30.6198

Authors

Siti Nor Fadillah Ahmad Shariff School of Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management (STHEM), Ghazali Shafie Graduate School of Government (GSGSG), Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), Sintok Kedah, Malaysia
Massyittah Omar Taylor’s Culinary Institute (TCI), Faculty of Social Sciences & Leisure Management Taylor's University Lakeside Campus, Selangor Malaysia
Mohd Hairi Jalis Department of Culinary Art and Gastronomy, Faculty of Hotel and Tourism Management, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Dungun Terengganu, Malaysia
Maya Indriastuti Department of Accounting, Faculty of Economics, Universitas Islam Sultan Agung Jl. Semarang, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21834/e-bpj.v9i30.6198

Keywords:

culinary heritage, multi-ethnic, tourism, economic, marketing strategy

Abstract

Local cuisine, including culinary heritage, is frequently seen as the foundation of destination/place marketing strategies to forge strong local economies and foster a sense of destination/place. This research investigates the culinary heritage themes, focusing on a multi-ethnic country like Malaysia, to market the country in driving local tourism industry and economic growth. A comprehensive analysis of academic literature triangulated with secondary data was employed in this research. Results indicated that local flavours are often highlighted to promote Malaysia’s culinary heritage and identity. Hence, future research could delve deeper into marketing strategies within the multi-ethnic, place/destination, and culinary heritage tourism industries.

References

Abdullah, R., & Isa, S S. (2020). Gastronomy Tourism Growth in Malaysia: A Case Study of Malay Restaurants Performance in Klang Valley., Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Education 10, 8-21. https://doi.org/10.3126/jthe.v10i0.28731 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3126/jthe.v10i0.28731

Azhar, H A H., Koe, W., & Osman, I. (2022). A Framework of Factors Influencing Performance of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Tourism Industry During Covid19 Pandemic ERA., International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences 12(1). https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v12-i1/12287 . DOI: https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v12-i1/12287

Bessière, J. (1998). Local development and heritage: traditional food and cuisine as tourist attractions in rural areas. Sociologia Ruralis, 38(1), 21-34. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9523.00061

Hussin, H. (2018). Branding Malaysia and Re-Positioning Cultural Heritage In Tourism Development. Cambridge University Press, DOI: https://doi.org/10.22452/jati.sp2018.no1.6

Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, Special Issue 2018 (Rebranding Southeast Asia), 75-92. https://doi.org/10.22452/jati.sp2018no1.6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22452/jati.sp2018no1.6

Ishak, F A C., Muhammad, N A L., Karim, S A., Abidin, U F U Z., Ismail, N A., & Hanafiah‬, M H. (2023). Staging Memorable Dining Experience in Food Tourism: A Narrative Literature Review of Ethnic Restaurants. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 13(5). https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v13-i5/17021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v13-i5/17021

Ishak, N., Ismail, A., Saad, M., & Ramli, A M. (2021). Researching Kedah's Malay Heritage Food Tradition and Eating Culture., International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 11(16). https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v11-i16/11224. DOI: https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v11-i16/11224

Ismail, N., Masron, T., & Ahmad, A. (2014). Cultural Heritage Tourism in Malaysia: Issues and Challenges. EDP Sciences, 12, 01059-01059. https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/20141201059 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/20141201059

Jalis, M. H. (2024). Tap food heritage potential to boost tourism, New straits times - NST Online. https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/letters/2024/04/1039795/tap-food-heritage-potential-boost-tourism

Jalis, M H., Che, D., & Markwell, K. (2014). Utilizing Local Cuisine to Market Malaysia as a Tourist Destination. Elsevier BV, Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 144, 102-110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.07.278 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.07.278

Khatimah, H., Anwar, A I., & Nurbayani, S U. (2023). Analysis of factors influencing demand for tourism in South Sulawesi. Jurnal Mantik, 7 (2) (2023), ISSN 2685-4236

Lo, M., Sheung, S C C., Mohamad, A A., & Chin, C. (2018). Local Communities Perceptions on Rural Tourism Competitive Advantage: A Study on Kampung Bako (Bako National Park), Kuching, Sarawak., International Journal of Asian Social Science, 8(10), 918–928., 8(10), 918-928. https://doi.org/10.18488/journal.1.2018.810.918.928 DOI: https://doi.org/10.18488/journal.1.2018.810.918.928

Mahachi-Chatibura, D. (2016). Local Cuisine as a Potential Tourism Attractor and Marker of National Identity in Botswana. Journal of Gastronomy and Tourism, 2(2), 117 134, 2(2), 117-134. https://doi.org/10.3727/216929716x14720551277880 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3727/216929716X14720551277880

Mohd Sanip, M. N. A., Mustapha, R., & Mohamed, S. (2024). Safeguarding Malaysian gastronomic tourism products through digital online platforms: Challenges and opportunities. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 14(5), 1865–1881. http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v14-i5/21650 DOI: https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v14-i5/21650

Omar, S R., Karim, S A., Bakar, A Z A., & Omar, S N. (2015). Safeguarding Malaysian Heritage Food (MHF): The Impact of Malaysian Food Culture and Tourists’ Food Culture Involvement on Intentional Loyalty. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 172, 611-618. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.01.410 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.01.410

Putri, T A S., & Baskoro, R M. (2021). The Rise of Malaysian Gastro Diplomacy: From Local Cuisine to the Global Cuisine. Journal of International Relations, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.33021/aegis.v5i1.1644 DOI: https://doi.org/10.33021/aegis.v5i1.1644

Recuero-Virto, N. & Arróspide, C. V. (2024). Culinary destination enchantment: The strategic interplay of local gastronomy in regional tourism development, International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science, 36, 100931, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgfs.2024.100931. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgfs.2024.100931

Resmi, I. C., Dhewanto, W., & Dellyana, D. (2023). Gastronomy Tourism: Local Food and Tourism Experience in Bandung. The Journal Gastronomy Tourism, 10(2), 195–202. https://doi.org/10.17509/gastur.v10i2.63659 DOI: https://doi.org/10.17509/gastur.v10i2.63659

Roslan, A R. (2021). Melaka As a Food Tourism Destination in Malaysia: Domestic Tourist Experience. Journal of Tourism, Hospitality and Environment Management, 6(26), 319-331. https://doi.org/10.35631/jthem.626029 DOI: https://doi.org/10.35631/JTHEM.626029

Ser, S. (2021). The Wonder Food Museum Story: Celebrating Malaysia’s Food Culture and Culinary Heritage. Udayana University, E-Journal of Cultural Studies, [S.l.],, 51-51. https://doi.org/10.24843/cs.2020.v13.i04.p04 DOI: https://doi.org/10.24843/cs.2020.v13.i04.p04

Sharma, G D., Thomas, A., & Paul, J. (2021). Reviving tourism industry post-COVID-19: A resilience-based framework. Tourism Management Perspectives, 37, 100786-100786. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2020.100786 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2020.100786

Stalmirska, A. M. (2021). Local Food in Tourism Destination Development: The Supply-Side Perspectives. Tourism Planning & Development, 21(2), 160–177. https://doi.org/10.1080/21568316.2021.1928739 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/21568316.2021.1928739

Stone, M J., Migacz, S., & Wolf, E. (2021). Learning through culinary tourism and developing a culinary tourism education strategy DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14766825.2021.1876078

Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change, 20(1-2), 177-195. https://doi.org/10.1080/14766825.2021.1876078 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14766825.2021.1876078