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01 Aug 2025
7 Min Read
Dr Thanam Subramaniam (Academic Contributor), Nellie Chan (Editor)
Tucked away in Perak, Malaysia, Lenggong Valley is one of Southeast Asia’s richest archaeological landscapes. Yet despite its UNESCO World Heritage Site status, it remains under-visited and underutilised. Infrastructure is limited, digital engagement is scarce, and the local community—especially youth—has had little involvement in heritage tourism efforts.
At Taylor’s University, Dr Thanam Subramaniam is leading research that reimagines how rural heritage destinations like Lenggong can be revitalised. By working with students, local communities, and government partners, she’s piloted an inclusive model for cultural revitalisation—complete with immersive digital storytelling, community-led tourism, and a cultural festival that brings it all together.
Feature photo credit(s): Heartpatrick via Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board (MTPB)
Dr Thanam is a senior lecturer at the School of Hospitality, Tourism, and Events, where she specialises in tourism marketing and sustainable tourism. Her latest project offers a fresh approach to a longstanding challenge: revitalising a globally recognised site like Lenggong, which has long struggled with low visibility and limited community engagement.
While conventional heritage tourism often emphasises physical restoration, Dr Thanam’s method puts people—and participation—at the centre. Through collaboration, she’s helped co-create tourism experiences ranging from storytelling and craft workshops to virtual reality (VR) tours and cultural festivals.
We spoke with her to explore the motivations behind this project, the challenges encountered, and its potential impact on the future of tourism in Malaysia and beyond.
Q: What is the core focus of your project?
A: This project focuses on revitalising Lenggong Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Perak, Malaysia, by transforming it into a vibrant heritage tourism destination. In collaboration with local youth and communities and government bodies, we co-created immersive storytelling experiences, a community hub model, and a cultural festival that showcases Lenggong’s history, culture, and natural beauty. At its core, the project is about making heritage accessible and engaging—while ensuring it benefits the people who live there.
Q: What motivated you to pursue it?
A: The idea came from seeing Lenggong—despite its global recognition—remain underutilised and overlooked. For us, it became both a personal challenge and an academic opportunity: to empower the local youth and communities to protect and celebrate their cultural heritage. As educators, we also saw a chance to help students become change-makers by applying what they learn in class to real-world settings. It became a project with a purpose—one that brings together heritage preservation, community development, and youth empowerment.
Q: What key challenges does your project aim to address?
A: The project tackles three main challenges. First, the lack of infrastructure and digital engagement has made destinations like Lenggong less appealing to today’s travellers. Second, local communities—especially the youth—have often been excluded from tourism initiatives, limiting their participation. Third, intangible cultural heritage, including oral histories, crafts, and traditions, is at risk of disappearing. In response, we created immersive, inclusive experiences that honour local culture while strengthening community pride and supporting socio-economic growth.
Q: What were some of the biggest challenges during the course of the project?
A: Several stood out. Time constraints were significant—we had just 14 weeks within a semester to conduct the project. Coordinating multiple stakeholders, from government agencies to local communities, required consistent communication and relationship-building. And technically, developing immersive VR content in a rural setting brought its own limitations, so we had to be creative in our problem-solving.
Q: Were there any unexpected or surprising discoveries?
A: Definitely. One of the most touching surprises was the enthusiasm of the local community—especially people with special needs—who actively participated in workshops like batik-making. It was inspiring. Another surprise was how profoundly the project affected students. It became more than just an academic exercise—it transformed their perspectives, built their confidence, and sparked a genuine passion for cultural preservation. They turned into heritage ambassadors.
Q: What are some common misconceptions about heritage tourism that this project challenges?
A: Many people think heritage tourism is just about visiting historical landmarks or museums, but it’s much more than that. It’s about immersing yourself in living cultures and engaging with stories that still hold meaning. There’s also a misconception that technologies like VR will replace physical visits to heritage sites. In truth, these tools help generate interest, spark curiosity, and make heritage more relevant and accessible—especially for younger audiences. Rather than replacing the physical experience, they enhance it.
Q: Why is this project particularly relevant today?
A: In a post-pandemic world, there’s a renewed interest in slow travel, cultural authenticity, and community-based tourism. Visitors are looking for meaningful experiences, not just sightseeing. At the same time, sites like Lenggong risk being forgotten or commercialised in ways that strip away their essence. By integrating digital storytelling tools such as 360-degree video and virtual reality, we’re making heritage more accessible—especially to a global audience—while reducing physical strain on sensitive sites. This aligns with both the UNSDGs (United Nations Sustainable Development Goals) and Malaysia’s push for high-value, sustainable tourism.
Q: What kind of long-term impact do you envision for this project?
A: We see this as more than a one-off initiative. It’s a scalable model for revitalising rural heritage tourism. Our long-term vision includes establishing a permanent community hub in Lenggong where locals take charge of cultural programming, expanding our VR platform and digital archive for global access, and hosting annual cultural festivals that promote entrepreneurship. We also aim to strengthen partnerships with government bodies, NGOs (non-governmental organisations), and academic institutions to ensure the sustainability of the project.
Q: Who stands to benefit the most from your findings?
A: Local communities are the heart of this initiative, especially the youth. They gain agency, skills, and pride through their involvement. Heritage advocates and policymakers also benefit by having a working model that aligns with national tourism goals. And tourists—both local and international—get richer, more meaningful travel experiences.
Q: How has your background as an educator shaped the project?
A: I believe education should be experiential, collaborative, and driven by impact. My background in tourism education reinforced the need to connect theory with practice. That’s why this project wasn’t just about observing heritage tourism—it was about involving students directly in shaping it. They weren’t passive learners—they were researchers, content creators, and advocates. This hands-on approach made a real difference in the project's depth and outcomes.
Q: How did this experience impact your students?
A: One quote from a student sums it up beautifully: ‘This was one of the most eye-opening projects I’ve done at Taylor’s—travelling to Lenggong and applying practical research helped me see the importance of preserving heritage. I’m now committed to protecting culture, history, and nature.’ That kind of transformation is what makes this work truly fulfilling—for them, and for me.
Q: Any advice you’d give to students or researchers interested in heritage tourism?
A: Heritage tourism is something you need to experience to truly understand. My advice is to go beyond the books—immerse yourself in the field, connect with local communities, and observe how culture, history, and identity are lived every day. Stay curious, collaborate widely, and always approach your work with humility and respect for the people and stories at the heart of these sites. Most importantly, consider how your research can help preserve and celebrate heritage for future generations. Heritage tourism isn’t just an academic pursuit—it’s an opportunity to create meaningful, lasting impact.
Dr Thanam’s work proves that heritage preservation doesn’t have to be static, exclusive, or out of reach. With the right tools, partners, and purpose, even the most overlooked sites can become vibrant spaces of learning, culture, and community growth.
Next steps include refining the community hub model, expanding digital storytelling initiatives, and exploring how this project might be adapted to other rural heritage destinations. Starting with Lenggong Valley, this project offers a compelling vision of tourism that is not only sustainable, but soulful—one that could resonate across Malaysia and into the world.
In a world rushing towards the future, Dr Thanam’s research reminds us that sometimes, the most powerful innovations begin by reconnecting with where we come from—and who we are.
