Seasonality in Melaka Tourism Industry
Writers
Chew Sze-Siong
Lecturer
Faculty of Hotel and Tourism Management
University Technology of MARA
Melaka
Fauzunnasirah Fazil
Lecturer
Faculty of Hotel and Tourism Management
University Technology of MARA
Melaka
ABTRACT
Seasonality in tourism demand is common among all sectors which involve in the industry and become a focal issue, particularly in the peripheral destinations and areas with four seasons. Seasonality phenomenon in tourism can be seen obviously in the East Coast of the Peninsular Malaysia during the Northeast Monsoon due to the heavy rainfalls and this affect seriously on the tourist arrivals to the islands which are the main tourist destinations. The issues of seasonality in tourism demand should not only focus on the natural aspect, where we could also look through some places which might have the possibility of having the same phenomenon in other tourist destinations. Thus, the main objectives of this research are to identify the pattern of tourist arrivals and to examine the factors of the seasonal tourism demand. The reason of doing this research in Melaka is because of the increment in tourist arrivals and heavy tourism activities since it was declared as one of the World Heritage Cities by UNESCO in year 2008. However, the congestion and overcrowded during peak season which exceed the carrying capacity has affected the quality of the environment and the travel experience of the tourists. On the other hand, the seasonal phenomenon also affects on the tourism businesses particularly during the low season which causes them hard to survive. The local authority has to take actions to overcome this problem in ensuring an excellent tourism development since the economic development of Melaka relies heavily on the tourism industry within the
area.