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01 Aug 2025
6 Min Read
Dr Khairiah Ismail (Academic Contributor), Nellie Chan (Editor)
In Malaysia’s historic city of Melaka, tourism plays a vital role in the local economy. But beneath the surface of glossy brochures and state-run initiatives lies a complex web of community relationships, informal vendors, and small businesses that shape the visitor experience just as much—if not more—than official campaigns. What would tourism look like if these local voices were brought to the centre?
At Taylor’s University, Dr Khairiah Ismail is investigating just that. Her research sheds light on the often-overlooked role of community participation in tourism initiatives, focusing on how local stakeholders contribute to and are affected by state-led efforts such as the Visit Melaka Year 2024 campaign. In doing so, she’s asking a bigger question: Can tourism development be more sustainable, inclusive, and collaborative?
Dr Khairiah is a senior lecturer at the School of Hospitality, Tourism, and Events, where she specialises in events and tourism management. Her recent research homes in on Melaka, one of Malaysia’s most popular tourist destinations and a central player in the Visit Malaysia campaign.
Rather than narrowing in on marketing strategies or visitor numbers, Dr Khairiah takes a community-first approach. Her work explores how tourism campaigns can be more impactful when local communities—especially small vendors and informal business owners—are included as active contributors, and not just passive participants.
We spoke with her about the inspiration behind this project, the realities on the ground, and the long-term change she hopes to see in the tourism sector.
Q: How would you explain your research to someone outside the field?
A: My research focuses on something I’m truly passionate about: events and tourism management. It explores how tourism campaigns—especially in places like Melaka—can be more impactful when local communities and small vendors are actively involved. It’s about looking at tourism not just as an economic engine, but as a shared experience shaped by everyone on the ground.
Q: What inspired you to take on this topic?
A: I was inspired by real issues I’ve heard discussed by small business owners, particularly those running stalls or informal businesses in tourist-heavy areas. These individuals are often overlooked in larger tourism strategies, yet they’re the ones who interact with visitors the most. Being from Melaka, I’ve seen how vital they are to the visitor experience—which makes this topic hit especially close to home.
Q: What specific gap does your research aim to address?
A: I wanted to understand how local communities and government authorities work together—or don’t—when it comes to shaping tourism campaigns like Visit Melaka. There’s a lot of emphasis on top-down planning, but we don’t often explore how both sides can collaborate more effectively. That’s the gap I hope to fill.
Q: What have been some of the major challenges in your research journey?
A: Time was definitely a challenge. Balancing my teaching responsibilities with data collection wasn’t easy. On top of that, I faced delays when trying to get responses from local authorities and small business owners. And then there was the weather—unexpected rain during field visits made it tough to conduct interviews or meet vendors at their usual spots.
Q: What surprised you most during your fieldwork?
A: The honesty of the responses I received. Many small vendors—and others in the community— were very open about what was working and what wasn’t. It gave me a clearer picture of how policies and campaigns actually play out on the ground, beyond what’s written in reports or press releases.
Q: Are there common misconceptions about how tourism campaigns work?
A: Yes, many people assume that tourism campaigns are entirely funded and managed by the government. But in reality, their success often depends on the contributions of local communities, especially small business owners who directly shape the visitor experience. These contributions may go unnoticed, yet they’re essential to the campaign’s overall impact.
Q: Why is this research particularly timely now?
A: It aligns strongly with national efforts like the Visit Malaysia campaign, where states like Melaka are investing heavily in tourism promotion. My research offers insights into how these efforts can be made more inclusive and sustainable—something that’s becoming increasingly important as we think about long-term growth.
Q: What kind of real-world changes could your research help bring about?
A: Ideally, it could encourage policymakers to include local voices more systematically when designing tourism strategies. This might mean organising regular sessions not just with district-level officials, but also with the wider community, or creating feedback channels so small business owners can share their experiences and suggestions directly. It’s about moving away from top-down planning and towards something more collaborative.
Q: What long-term impact do you hope your research will have?
A: I hope it leads to stronger partnerships between communities and authorities—not just in Melaka, but in other destinations as well. If we can build models of tourism that are inclusive and sustainable, we’ll be better positioned to adapt to changes and ensure that the benefits of tourism are shared more equitably.
Q: What drew you to tourism research in the first place?
A: I’ve always been fascinated by how travel connects people and transforms places. But more than that, I was curious about how tourism affects the people who live in those places—how it shapes their lives, livelihoods, and identities. I wanted to go beyond the economics and understand what tourism really means for local communities and cultures.
Q: How has your teaching experience influenced your research approach?
A: As a lecturer in events and tourism management, I always encourage students to think beyond the textbook. That’s also how I approached this research—I didn’t want it to be purely academic. I wanted the findings to matter to the people involved, and to offer something meaningful to both the industry and the community.
Q: What’s one insight or quote that sums up your experience with this project?
A: One insight that stayed with me throughout the project is, ‘Real tourism happens when local voices are heard.’ It reminded me that meaningful impact begins by listening to the people who live in, work in, and represent the place every day. They are its heart and soul—and their voices matter.
Dr Khairiah’s research may focus on one Malaysian state, but its message is far-reaching. By giving a platform to community voices, she is challenging the way tourism campaigns are designed and measured. Her work suggests that the most effective strategies aren’t necessarily the flashiest, but those grounded in real, reciprocal partnerships.
The next steps of her research will likely explore how these insights can be applied to other regions in Malaysia and beyond. If successful, it could help redefine how we understand tourism—not as a one-way broadcast to tourists, but as a shared conversation with communities.
As Malaysia and other countries work towards more inclusive tourism, this research offers a timely reminder: sustainable tourism is built with communities, not around them. And it begins by listening.
