ECOTOURISM READINESS IN MERSING:

METRI CONSTRUCTION AND TRAINING ROLE

Abstract

Coastal fishing communities are currently facing increasing economic pressures due to income uncertainty, climate change, declining marine resources, and structural market constraints that affect livelihood stability and household resilience. As a result, income diversification strategies have become essential to enhance resilience, reduce poverty risks, and support long-term socio-economic sustainability. In this context, ecotourism is increasingly recognized as a viable pathway for diversifying income, as it generates additional revenue while promoting environmental conservation and strengthening community participation in sustainable tourism development. This study develops and empirically validates a Multidimensional Composite Ecotourism Readiness Index (METRI) to assess the readiness of coastal fishing communities in Mersing, Malaysia, for ecotourism development. The index is constructed using questionnaire data based on multiple Likert-scale indicators that are standardized into a composite measure. The findings reveal that METRI demonstrates strong reliability and indicates a generally high level of readiness, although notable disparities exist across households. Key strengths include natural and marine resources, social capital and community engagement, and maritime culture and heritage, which provide a strong foundation for ecotourism development. However, limitations in attitudes toward participation, along with weaknesses in management and governance, remain critical constraints. Factor analysis confirms the robustness of the measurement model, while regression results show that training exposure significantly improves overall readiness, particularly in shaping positive attitudes and encouraging participation. These findings highlight the importance of capacity-building initiatives in strengthening community preparedness. Despite its contributions, this study is limited by its focus on a specific geographic area and reliance on cross-sectional self-reported data, which may affect generalizability and limit the ability to capture changes over time. Nevertheless, the study offers important implications by emphasizing the need for targeted interventions to improve financial literacy, governance capacity, and community engagement. Overall, the METRI provides a practical diagnostic tool for policymakers to identify readiness gaps and design effective strategies that promote sustainable income diversification and long-term community development in coastal regions.