"Empowering Urban Communities through Sustainable Tourism: The Case of GLOW 2025 in Kampung Pengkalan Rama Pantai, Melaka"

In Kampung Pengkalan Rama Pantai, Melaka, this study examines the effects of the GLOW 2025 (Growth, Learning, and Opportunities for World-Class Tourism) initiative as a game-changing model for sustainable urban tourism. The research uses a quantitative method using survey responses from 65 participants, including local community, university affiliates, and government stakeholders, and is based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Community-Based Tourism (CBT) paradigm. The results show a significant rise in social cohesion (72.7%), environmental awareness (97.1%), and entrepreneurial interest, especially in hospitality, craft, and culinary endeavors. These findings highlight the value of focused training, institutional support, and community involvement in creating sustainable tourist ecosystems. Despite being restricted to a single urban heritage site, the study provides insightful information that can be used to replicate CBT models in comparable settings. This study is unique since it focuses on an urban Malaysian context and offers a framework that is inclusive and scalable for community-driven tourism development that is in line with national sustainability objectives.

Sustainable Tourism, Community Engagement, Theory of Planned Behavior, Tourism Entrepreneurship

1. Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Alam, S. S., & Mohd Hisham, B. (2014). Is sustainable consumption and production achievable in Malaysia? Environment, Development and Sustainability, 16(6), 1213–1233. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Andarani, P. M., & Taufik, S. D. (2018). Sustainable tourism awareness and community readiness: A case study of North Bandung Area, Indonesia. Journal of Sustainable Tourism Development, 6(1), 33–41.* [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Anuar, N. M. Z., & Yatin, K. M. A. (2022). The perception of local community towards the impact and support of volunteer tourism in Tioman Island. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 12(1), 678–689. https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v12-i1/11848 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Athar, I. A. F. H., & Nahar, M. U. (2023). Exploring the role of tourism community service programs in promoting sustainable tourism practices in Lombok Island, Indonesia. Pentahelix: Journal Ilmiah Pengabdian Pariwisata, 1(1), 9–16. https://doi.org/10.47492/pentahelix.v1i1.2 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Bramwell, B., & Lane, B. (2013). Sustainable tourism: An evolving global approach. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 21(1), 1–5.* [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Cavalcante, F., et al. (2022). Public tourism policies in Brazil: A review. International Journal of Advanced Engineering Research and Science, 9(9), 127–145. https://doi.org/10.22161/ijaers.99.13 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Chambers, D. (2020). Academic-community partnerships in sustainable tourism. Journal of Community Development, 51(2), 145–157.* [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Chan, J. K. L. C. H. C., & Hsu, T. B. (2021). The impact of community participation on sustainable tourism development: A theoretical framework. Tourism Management Perspectives, 39, 100834. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Chin, C. H. M. C., Lo, & Ramayah, T. (2014). Intention to visit Malaysia: Application of the theory of planned behavior and the mediating role of destination image. International Journal of Tourism Research, 16(2), 137–152.* [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Firdausia, N. N., & Lestari, Y. D. (2020). Sustainable tourism development through local community empowerment: A case study in Indonesia. Journal of Environmental Management and Tourism, 11(1), 78–87.* [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Garcia, P. R., & Ahmad, L. J. (2019). Effective communication strategies in community outreach programs: Lessons for sustainable engagement. Journal of Community Development Studies, 45(2), [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. 112–125.* [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Graciano, M. C. T. A. S., & Holanda, A. (2020). Community-based tourism as a strategy for sustainable development in the Brazilian semiarid. Sustainability, 12(18), 7389.* [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Graciano, P. F. L. A. de, & Holanda, A. (2020). Bibliometric analysis of community-based tourism literature. Revista Brasileira de Pesquisa em Turismo, 14(1), 161–179. https://doi.org/10.7784/rbtur.v14i1.1736 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Jaafar, M. K., & Kayat, D. M. (2014). Community involvement in tourism: A case of Kinabalu National Park. Tourism, 62(1), 19–34.* [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Jiang, Y. W., & Guo, H. Z. W. K. (2024). Influence of social networks on tourism support behaviors. Sustainability, 16(23), 10787. https://doi.org/10.3390/su162310787 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Khairuddin, F. N., et al. (2024). Sustainable tourism and quality of life among marginalized communities in Malaysia. European Journal of International Management, 22(4), 647–672. https://doi.org/10.1504/ejim.2024.137339 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Kim, H. (2022). The effect of corporate social responsibility on community support for sustainable tourism in Jeju Island. Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change, 20(4), 478–494.* [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Kim, Y.-N. (2022). Perception of local residents on community-based tourism governance. Society for Jeju Studies, 58, 373–390. https://doi.org/10.47520/jjs.2022.58.373 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Kristanti, D. W., et al. (2024). Governance model for sustainable tourism villages in Indonesia. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1414(1), 012078. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1414/1/012078 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Kumar, A. M. (2023). Inclusive practices in Malaysian eco-tourism. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Management, 6(4), 78–87. https://doi.org/10.53819/81018102t4204 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Kurniawan, R. (2024). Sustainable tourism development: Systematic literature review. Deleted Journal, 1(2), 97–119. https://doi.org/10.62207/8qsmcg37 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Lee, H. K. (2021). The role of participatory environmental programs in rural communities: Building resilience through engagement. Environmental Management Review, 18(3), 201–219.* [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Masni, M. N., & Idris, B. N. (2024). Community education and environmental protection in Komodo National Park: A sustainable tourism perspective. Asian Journal of Tourism Research, 9(1), 66–81.* [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Moscardo, G. (2008). Sustainable tourism innovation: Challenging assumptions. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 8(1), 4–13.* [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. Nyirarwasa, J. C., & Ndaruhutse, H. M. (2020). Assessing the socio-economic impact of tourism on local communities: A case study of Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda. Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Management, 8(1), 11–21.* [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

28. Okazaki, E. (2008). A community-based tourism model. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 16(5), 511–529.* [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

29. Quang, N. H. T. M., & Dung, N. T. H. (2023). Building sustainable tourism in Southeast Asia: The role of community-based models and policy integration. Journal of Sustainable Tourism Development, 10(3), 44–58.* [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

30. Rachmawati, Y. (2020). Community empowerment in tourism village development: A psychological perspective. Journal of Tourism Development Studies, 18(2), 125–138.* [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

31. Ramkissoon, H., & Uysal, M. (2014). Authenticity as a value co-creation pathway. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 22(2), 307–326.* [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

32. Scheyvens, R. (1999). Ecotourism and the empowerment of local communities. Tourism Management, 20(2), 245–249.* [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

33. Sharif, S. P. K. A., & Lonik, K. (2014). Community-based tourism in Malaysia: A study of Kampung Semadang, Sarawak. International Journal of Economics and Management, 8(S), 25–40.* [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

34. Smith, J., & Johnson, T. (2020). Sustainability initiatives and social cohesion: Evaluating impacts in rural Asia. International Journal of Sustainable Development, 27(4), 341–359.* [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

35. Smith, S., & Jordan, L.-A. (2021). Collaborative tourism entrepreneurship in Castara. In [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

36. Community Resilience in Tourism (pp. 213–233). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80238-7_12 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

37. Tan, W. Y., & Mohamad, N. (2022). Community-based approaches to sustainable tourism: Evidence from Southeast Asia. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 19(5), 522–538.* [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

38. Wu, B. Y., & Zhang, W. Y. (2023). Tourism micro-enterprises, sustainability, and rural revitalization: Insights from small tourism enterprises in China. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 28, [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

39. * [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

40. Wu, M.-Y., et al. (2023). The community social responsibility of rural small tourism enterprises. Journal of Travel Research, 63(8), 1971–1988. https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875231204183 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

41. Yusof, I. B. M., & Ariffin, M. (2020). Sustainability implementation in Malaysia. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 494, 012011. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/494/1/012011 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• An Analysis of Waste Management Practices in Selected Buffet Restaurants in Quezon City, Philippines
• Assessing the Effects of COVID-19 on Hospitality and Tourism Employment
• A Conceptual Framework for Profiling Stream Anglers in Malaysia
• Service Quality and Guests’ Satisfaction: Evidence from Banda Hilir, Melaka
• Examining the Perceived Socio-Cultural Effects of Tourism Among the Residents at Kampung Tuba, Pantu Sri Aman, Sarawak