Here it is:

Research Question

What prospects and problems does Sabah face as a tourist destination?

The words ‘prospects’ and ‘problems’ allow the research to explore both the positive and negative aspects of tourism policy and development in Sabah and relate to the future of tourism in the state. Although there will be reference to Sabah’s tourism past and its current situation, the main emphasis of this research lies in the future of tourism at this particular destination. In order to answer the research question effectively, the following aims of this research are set out below.

Aims
1. To identify potential problems and prospects for Sabah's tourism development now and in the future.
2. To illustrate how the stakeholders plan to overcome these problems and achieve tourism success.
3. Offer personal recommendations for future tourism development in Sabah.

These aims require specific objectives in order to successfully conduct this research as accurately and as thoroughly as possible.


Objectives

1. To review academic literature that relates to tourism development, and to examine secondary documents that relate specifically to Malaysia's and Sabah's tourism development.

2. To examine stakeholders' responses to the current challenges facing Sabah's tourism industry.

3. To evaluate stakeholders' views on the potential opportunities facing Sabah's tourism industry.

4. To explore stakeholders' responses to their own role in developing a successful tourism industry.

5. Based on the literature and stakeholders' responses, to make recommendations for the future successful development of Sabah's tourism industry

The ball is rolling faster...

Having met with my disseration supervisor, Sam, last week my ideas for my dissertation are starting to take more shape.
For the moment my dissertation research question will be: What issues and opportunities does Sabah face as a tourist destination?

I am hoping to identify potential problems and opportunities for Sabah's tourism development and illustrate how various stakeholders plan to overcome such issues or achieve such opportunities. Hopefully with my research, I can also offer some recommendations for future development for tourism in Sabah. I have decided not to incorporate the local community in my research and instead research the stakeholders involved in Sabah's tourism development.

Good news - I may be able to go to Sabah this summer afterall! A family planned trip will also act as a dissertation research trip and I hopefully should be able to meet with various stakeholders whilst there.

The dissertation proposal due in just over a week will help to lay the foundations for my dissertation but if I am to visit Malaysia in July, I need to fully prepare my dissertation timetable and get most of my research done before my trip so that I am fully prepared for the interviews.
I am considering conducting phone itnerviews before I go to Malaysia and conducting one-to-one interviews whilst there to follow up any questions that may have come up between the phone interview and my time in Malaysia. I hope this will give me a more detailed insight into the stakeholder's opinions and may enlighten myself into some useful information.

Powerpoint presentation link

If you're interested in viewing my powerpoint presentation on Sabah, check it out here:

http://www.slideshare.net/corinna888/initial-proposal-dissertation-powerpoint-presentation

Forming Ideas

So the presentation went well and I received some interesting feedback. One thing mentioned was the possibility of exploring issues in Sabah that are affecting tourism development in Sabah. Or perhaps the future issues that will affect this destination. These issues can be economic, socio-cultural and environmental. I am quite interested in this line of research and believe that it will be enlightening about tourism in Sabah. It would also allow me to explore different aspects of Sabah tourism rather than focussing entirely on one and I believe this may be quite an enjoyable research topic (I HOPE!)

Happy New Year to all!

Tonight I've been sat creating my powerpoint presentation for my intial proposal for my dissertation. I have begun looking at alternative aspects of Sabah and what channels of research I may follow.

Topics include:

- KK has developed drastically over the last 20 years (tourism the main factor) – was it planned properly? How will the lack of space affect development?
- What plans are there for the future of tourism in Sabah?
-Has all of Sabah’s resources been fully exploited (cultural tourism, ecotourism, adventure etc)?
-How has tourism affected Sabah (people, culture, way of life etc)? E.g. Kampung Aya
-How has Sabah’s history helped/hindered tourism development?

-The marketing of Sabah as a tourism destination
-Sabah and its competition
-Tourism in an emerging economy

They all seem like interesting issues to look at and as yet, I have not narrowed it down (if anything I keep adding!). Some of them do interlink so they might be of interest.

However, although 15,000 words sounds like a huge amount, once you get down to it, it really doesn't leave much room for exploration. So I must ensure that my topic is not so wide that I cannot fit it all in.

My presentation which will take place on Wednesday, will allow my lecturer to see what I have come up with so far and help me make a decision on which aspect to choose. As I'm a bit of a geek, I've tried to make the powerpoint as colourful and interesting as possible. For those who will find my topic a bore, I've added pcitures to keep them entertained - well, I do aim to please!

Sabah and its tourism

The festive season has descended upon us again and as always I am left thinking that the year has gone by way too fast.
On top of that, this Christmas my family and I have decided to stay in London. We're not use to being subjected to the miserable weather and cold dark nights at this time of year - usually we escape to an exotic destination, more often than not, Malaysia. However, this year we decided (with a little help from the credit crunch) that Christmas spent at home would be fun and enjoyable. Yet as my friends jet off to warmer climates, I'm feeling envious of their fun and frolics abroad, and am left sitting in my study reminiscing about past trips to KK.

My father grew up in Sabah's capital and much has changed since his younger years. The town has expanded so much, it's considered a city now (although anyone from London would describe it as a town at most, but I guess Londoners have a warped view of scale). The family shop used to sit a stone's throw away from the water's edge with sand creeping up to the shop door, but now it sits three streets inland; its once breathtaking view of the bay and horizon blocked now by towers and a shopping centre.

Even as a child, I remember seeing a fair few tourists meandering through the town: it was particularly popular with backpackers and those seeking a quiet retreat (before Thailand made and Bali made its mark). But now there are many more tourists seeking a relaxing beach holiday with a few extras, such as diving off Sipadan Island, or visiting the orangutan reserve at Sepilok. Or even climbing Mount Kinabalu or watching turtles hatch on Turtle Island. In Danum Valley there is an Eco retreat which is situated right in the heart of the jungle (it takes 3 hours to get there on a private road from the nearest airport) which accommodates tourists seeking adventure via jungle trekking, tree top climbing, and now, due to popularity, bird watching tours.

These attractions specifically monitor the conservation and preservation of wildlife and rain forest which is much more than some tourist destinations have ever done or intend to do. Sabah Tourism have realised the potential of its rare beauties and attractions and rather than exploit them to earn as much profit as possible, a lot of planning and care has been taken to ensure these attractions are for the better rather than the worse.

Sabah has been slowly growing as a tourism destination and it is perhaps because of its late start that it has been able to watch its competition and learn from their successes and failures. I believe that Sabah has a lot more to offer than other beach destinations, even that of mainland Malaysia and am grateful that KK has not become the new Bali or Thailand where tourists have rushed to soak up sun sea ans sand and in turn spoilt the natural culture and landscape and lifestyle.

Thankfully, Sabah has distanced itself from that type of tourism marketing and exploitation, but for how long will this last? Will Sabah be forced to entice these mass tourists in order to compete in the Asian market? Or will it stick to its guns, providing only for those who really appreciate real culture and conservation? The future of tourism in Sabah currently sounds like an interesting topic to elaborate on, and this could be my initial idea for my dissertation. My thoughts continue...at a later date...Merry Christmas everyone! : )

Dissertation - where to begin...

So...Already we must begin to think about our dissertation and several ideas are runnig through my head, although one thing remains constant: where I want to write about.

Coming from a mixed family, I have spent quite alot of my 21 years living and visiting Malaysia, in particular, the island of Borneo and the state Sabah.
I have seen my Dad's hometown, Kota Kinabalu or KK to locals, grow from a small capital town to a thriving coastal resort. I visit at least once every two years, and there is always a new construction of some sort going on in or around the city, be it a new 5 star hotel or a grand shopping centre.

I am fascinated by this place which is completely different to my westernised lifestyle in London and I always love my return visits to KK, a place I also call my home.

I am still deciding what area of KK and the state I want to investigate.
The state is now very popular for ecotourism, cultural tourism and a quieter alternative to places like Thailand and Bali, but with beaches and locals who are, in my opinion, equal if not better than those you find in the busy tourist destinations (perhaps I'm slightly biased)...

So do I explore the cultural aspect of Sabah, the eco tourism industry that's attracted so many tourists over the years? Or do I investigate the impact tourism has had on the locals with this ever expanding tourist destination? So many aspects to look at....