IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/sagope/v12y2022i4p21582440221138814.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Post-COVID-19 Challenges for a Sustainable Community-Based Ecotourism: A Case Study of Rural Community in Sabah, North of Borneo

Author

Listed:
  • Jakaria Dasan
  • Fatimah Ahmedy
  • Shamezah Shamsul
  • Elia Godoong
  • Coswald Stephen Sipaut
  • Mohammad Saffree Jeffree

Abstract

COVID-19 has impacted the ecotourism industry significantly. It is imperative to examine and identify the key challenges in running rural ecotourism businesses to comprehend the mindset of the working community members before re-establishing a business model during endemic phase. This study aimed to explore and identify the resources and capabilities challenges perceived by the members of community-based ecotourism located in Marakau Village, Sabah. The study, which took place in 2021, employed a qualitative method through interviews among 10 key members of the Tagal Marakau Association responsible for a tagal ecotourism business. The interview was recorded and transcribed to identify common themes of issues. There was a total of 15 emerging issues: lack of capital, lack of business know-how, shortage of hospitality skills, lack of social capital, poor marketing ability, land dispute, absence of a strategic business model, poor financial planning, poor implementation of human resource practices, inadequate infrastructures, limited customer experiences, high fish habitat maintenance, external competitors, stakeholders support, and liability as a small business venture. These issues collated into five themes of business mindset domains: knowledge, attitude, skills, aspiration, and finance (KASA-F). Identifying the perceived challenges would help to understand the mindset of working rural community members to assist in re-formulating strategic plans for business sustainability in the post-COVID era.

Suggested Citation

  • Jakaria Dasan & Fatimah Ahmedy & Shamezah Shamsul & Elia Godoong & Coswald Stephen Sipaut & Mohammad Saffree Jeffree, 2022. "Post-COVID-19 Challenges for a Sustainable Community-Based Ecotourism: A Case Study of Rural Community in Sabah, North of Borneo," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(4), pages 21582440221, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:sagope:v:12:y:2022:i:4:p:21582440221138814
    DOI: 10.1177/21582440221138814
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/21582440221138814
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/21582440221138814?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Osman, Taher & Shaw, David & Kenawy, Emad, 2018. "Examining the extent to which stakeholder collaboration during ecotourism planning processes could be applied within an Egyptian context," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 126-137.
    2. Wei Liu & Christine A Vogt & Junyan Luo & Guangming He & Kenneth A Frank & Jianguo Liu, 2012. "Drivers and Socioeconomic Impacts of Tourism Participation in Protected Areas," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(4), pages 1-13, April.
    3. Naidoo, Robin & Adamowicz, Wiktor L., 2005. "Biodiversity and nature-based tourism at forest reserves in Uganda," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 10(2), pages 159-178, May.
    4. Liu, Jingyan & Qu, Hailin & Huang, Danyu & Chen, Gezhi & Yue, Xiao & Zhao, Xinyuan & Liang, Zhuida, 2014. "The role of social capital in encouraging residents' pro-environmental behaviors in community-based ecotourism," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 190-201.
    5. Rawlins, Maurice A. & Westby, Leon, 2013. "Community participation in payment for ecosystem services design and implementation: An example from Trinidad," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 6(C), pages 117-121.
    6. Jaafar, Mastura & Maideen, Siti Aishah, 2012. "Ecotourism-related products and activities, and the economic sustainability of small and medium island chalets," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 683-691.
    7. Karkin, Naci & Janssen, Marijn, 2014. "Evaluating websites from a public value perspective: A review of Turkish local government websites," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 351-363.
    8. Qu, Hailin & Kim, Lisa Hyunjung & Im, Holly Hyunjung, 2011. "A model of destination branding: Integrating the concepts of the branding and destination image," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 465-476.
    9. Johannesen, Anne Borge & Skonhoft, Anders, 2005. "Tourism, poaching and wildlife conservation: what can integrated conservation and development projects accomplish?," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(3), pages 208-226, October.
    10. Nam C. Nguyen & Ockie J. H. Bosch, 2013. "A Systems Thinking Approach to identify Leverage Points for Sustainability: A Case Study in the Cat Ba Biosphere Reserve, Vietnam," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(2), pages 104-115, March.
    11. Scott L. Newbert, 2007. "Empirical research on the resource‐based view of the firm: an assessment and suggestions for future research," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(2), pages 121-146, February.
    12. Yan, Libo & Gao, Bo Wendy & Zhang, Meng, 2017. "A mathematical model for tourism potential assessment," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 355-365.
    13. Nor’Aini Yusof & Faiz Abd Rahman & Mohd Fitri Che Jamil & Mohammad Iranmanesh, 2014. "Measuring the Quality of Ecotourism Services," SAGE Open, , vol. 4(2), pages 21582440145, June.
    14. Dovev Lavie, 2007. "Alliance portfolios and firm performance: A study of value creation and appropriation in the U.S. software industry," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(12), pages 1187-1212, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Lin, Yini & Wu, Lei-Yu, 2014. "Exploring the role of dynamic capabilities in firm performance under the resource-based view framework," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(3), pages 407-413.
    2. J. Nils Foege & Erk P. Piening & Torsten-Oliver Salge, 2017. "Don’T Get Caught On The Wrong Foot: A Resource-Based Perspective On Imitation Threats In Innovation Partnerships," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 21(03), pages 1-42, April.
    3. Coria, Jessica & Calfucura, Enrique, 2012. "Ecotourism and the development of indigenous communities: The good, the bad, and the ugly," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 47-55.
    4. Kanokporn Swangjang & Phitwalan Kornpiphat, 2021. "Does ecotourism in a Mangrove area at Klong Kone, Thailand, conform to sustainable tourism? A case study using SWOT and DPSIR," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(11), pages 15960-15985, November.
    5. Jun Liu & Mengting Yue & Yiming Liu & Ding Wen & Yun Tong, 2022. "The Impact of Tourism on Ecosystem Services Value: A Spatio-Temporal Analysis Based on BRT and GWR Modeling," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-17, February.
    6. Winkler, Ralph, 2011. "Why do ICDPs fail?: The relationship between agriculture, hunting and ecotourism in wildlife conservation," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 55-78, January.
    7. Nason, Robert S. & Wiklund, Johan & McKelvie, Alexander & Hitt, Michael & Yu, Wei, 2019. "Orchestrating boundaries: The effect of R&D boundary permeability on new venture growth," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 63-79.
    8. Ralph Winkler, 2007. "Why do ICDPs fail? The relationship between subsistence farming, poaching and eco- tourism in wildlife and habitat conservation," CER-ETH Economics working paper series 07/76, CER-ETH - Center of Economic Research (CER-ETH) at ETH Zurich.
    9. Piening, Erk P. & Salge, Torsten Oliver & Schäfer, Sebastian, 2016. "Innovating across boundaries: A portfolio perspective on innovation partnerships of multinational corporations," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 51(3), pages 474-485.
    10. Sonja S. Teelucksingh & Paulo A.L.D. Nunes, 2010. "Biodiversity Valuation in Developing Countries: A Focus on Small Island Developing States (SIDS)," Working Papers 2010.111, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.
    11. Jie Ren & Kaiwen Su & Yihui Zhou & Yilei Hou & Yali Wen, 2022. "Why Return? Birdwatching Tourists’ Revisit Intentions Based on Structural Equation Modelling," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-17, November.
    12. Zhang, Yucheng & Hou, Zhongwei & Yang, Feifei & Yang, Miles M. & Wang, Zhiling, 2021. "Discovering the evolution of resource-based theory: Science mapping based on bibliometric analysis," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 500-516.
    13. Van Wijk, Raymond & Nadolska, Anna, 2020. "Making more of alliance portfolios: The role of alliance portfolio coordination," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 38(3), pages 388-399.
    14. Bruneel, Johan & Clarysse, Bart & Bobelyn, Annelies & Wright, Mike, 2020. "Liquidity events and VC-backed academic spin-offs: The role of search alliances," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(10).
    15. Siwarit Pongsakornrungsilp & Pimlapas Pongsakornrungsilp & Theeranuch Pusaksrikit & Pimmada Wichasin & Vikas Kumar, 2021. "Co-Creating a Sustainable Regional Brand from Multiple Sub-Brands: The Andaman Tourism Cluster of Thailand," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-23, August.
    16. Cinzia Battistella & Maria Rosita Cagnina & Lucia Cicero & Nadia Preghenella, 2018. "Sustainable Business Models of SMEs: Challenges in Yacht Tourism Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-20, September.
    17. Skonhoft, Anders, 2007. "Economic modeling approaches for wildlife and species conservation," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(2), pages 223-231, April.
    18. Parvaneh Sobhani & Hassan Esmaeilzadeh & Seyed Mohammad Moein Sadeghi & Marina Viorela Marcu, 2022. "Estimation of Ecotourism Carrying Capacity for Sustainable Development of Protected Areas in Iran," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-19, January.
    19. Nils Grashof, 2020. "Sinking or swimming in the cluster labour pool? A firm-specific analysis of the effect of specialized labour," Jena Economics Research Papers 2020-006, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.
    20. Cannavale, Chiara & Esempio, Anna & Ferretti, Marco, 2021. "Up- and down- alliances: A systematic literature review," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(5).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:sagope:v:12:y:2022:i:4:p:21582440221138814. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.