Marketing Research Paper on Issues Encounter by Malaysian Tourism

Question

Task: Write a marketing research paper considering the problems encounter by Malaysian tourism over the last years.

Answer

Introduction and Research Background
Problem Statement
The tourism sector of any nation is one great source of revenue generation for any nation and Malaysia is no such exception. Malaysia tourism sector although is struggling hard for the last 3 years to maintain its steady growth in terms of travellers and revenue generation. Drawing back to the statistical considerations for the last 3 years, it can be observed that the nation is having hard times in terms of tourists’ footfall. Hence, Malaysian Tourism has been encountering one grave and challenging situation with less global tourists coming there for tours’ purposes. This issue is only getting severe with each passing year as the number of overall global tourists is only declining for the last 3 years. As per the statistical assumption, global tourists' arrival declined to 26.76 million only in 2016. 2017 and 2018 only saw a further decline in tourists' arrivals with 25.95 and 25.83 million. Considering more data from "my tourism" website of Malaysia, it is evident that such a drop in tourists' number was contributed largely by 14.6% reduction of Singapore tourists' arrival. In 2018 only 10.62 million tourists from Singapore visited Malaysia whereas in 2017, the number was approximately 12.44 million. The declining percentage thus is quite vivid and shocking. China is another prime nation from where a huge number of tourists come to visit Malaysia each year. Last year there had also been high concern regarding China tourists. China-based tourists also stopped visitingMalaysia like the previous years and all such fewer tourists' footfall is causing a huge impact over the Malaysiantourism sector. The government is losing huge money through the tourism sector as fewertourists mean lesser revenue generation. The local Malaysian people who depend at large on the tourism sector also saw a decline in their income. Moreover, the constant stance of tourists’ number decline also needs utmost focus as it can get worsen with the upcoming years. MATTA “Malaysia Association of Tour and Travel Agents” have also apprehended their ongoing concerns about this problematic situation and they are thinking of pull factors for re-attracting global tourists to visit Malaysia lie before(Ahmad, 2019).

Research Objectives
The generic objective for this overall research paper is as follows:

To understand the present issues and future possibilities of Malaysian tourism The specific objective for this concerned research paper whereas is outlined below:
To identify the pull factors which can make Malaysia a more favorable tourists destination to global visitors and upheld its present shortcomings
These objectives do have direct linking with the above-stated research problem. It is because the present-day drawbacks of Malaysian tourism are needed to be identified along with outlining better strategies to pull more tourists in upcoming days.

Literature Review
Theoretical Framework
Expectation-Disconfirmation or alternativelyExpectation-Confirmation theory can be considered as one cognitive theory which tries to explain the post-adoption or post-purchase users’ satisfaction quotient to the beliefs’ disconfirmation, perceived performance and expectations (Buliahet al., 2018). This considered theory includes four main constructs namely Perceived performance, satisfaction, beliefs’ disconfirmation and Expectations. Expectations can be considered as the thinking or beliefs of the users before using or purchasing any service or product. The actual and real-life performance level of the purchased or used service and products although can be considered as the perceived performance. Beliefs’ disconfirmation is the stage where the users evaluate their pre and post-usage experiences. The user satisfaction level in terms of the tourism sector is directly related to the repetitive visit and destination loyalty contexts (Kim et al., 2019). Only by offering the desired perceived performance to the tourists, they will be visiting the place again and again.

“Plog’s model of tourist behaviour” although classified three typed tourists namely the Wanderers, the Repeater and the Midcentric. The wanderers are the tourists who want the latest adventures and experiences for often and they like to know various cultures and people (Cruz-Milan, 2018). The repeater although are less adventurous and they prefer good staying and food trail accommodation and like to repeat their travel destinations. The Midcentric are although the combination of both these types (Moreno et al., 2017). The context of Malaysian tourism ministry hence should focus on all these typed tourists’ behaviour to satisfy all their varied needs.

Secondary Empirical data
As opined by Abdullah and Lui, (2018), the tourism sector of Malaysia can be positioned to be one of the most prominent drivers to the nation's economy. The recent slower growth in tourism industry although is losing the Malaysian tourism sector's competitive advantage and income creation contexts. Satisfaction is the prime driver to appeal the international tourists to the repetitive visit to Malaysia. Cham et al., (2020), had although opined that over the last some years, medical tourism has grown much in Malaysia. The social factors as social media and WOM as well as nation-specific factors as accessibility, price reasonableness, security and safety and country knowledge act as the major predictors of Malaysia's image as a medical tourist destination. The global tourists’ expenditure on shopping and transportation also contributes at large to the local Malaysian economy (Amir et al., 2016). For tourism literature, the concept of motivation stimulation among the visitors is one significant aspect for generating the intention of revisit and impacting perceived value. Only through full customer satisfaction, Malaysia can attain the context of destination loyalty within its targeted visitors (Shukoret al., 2017). Nadarajah and Ramalu,(2018), although had focused upon some other major determinants of visitors’ repetitive visit stance to Malaysia. The perceived value, service quality, trusts and destination loyalty are some prime quotient which indulges revisit mindset within global tourists. Malaysia’s image as one destination although includes outcomes and antecedents. The antecedents consist of the credibility of destination source and cultural values whereas the outcomes include destination satisfaction, destination attachment and the revisit intention (Kaniet al., 2017). Aziz et al., (2018), had although find out that motivation differs much within varied socio-demographic levels of tourists in terms of their incomes and genders.

Research Design and Primary data
Population and Sample
For gathering the primary data for this considered research paper, total 50 samples had been considered. That means one survey had been initiated over the 50 population. These populations are tourists from random places. The random probability sampling technique had been used therefore (Sharma, 2017). It was mainly because, the research wanted to attain the varied opinions and expectations from Malaysian tourism. The researcher although had been particular about one characteristic of the population and it was that the 50 population must be the tourists in Malaysia (Geraghtyet al., 2019). As this considered research paper is on the present drawbacks of Malaysian tourism and proposing some pull factors for re-attracting global tourists, only the tourists could be the most suitable samples for the survey. Thus through the considered sampling technique, the innate demand, expectations and satisfactory quotient of the global tourists could have been understood so that the Malaysian tourism can use them as pull factors.

Data Collection Method
The method of data collection for this considered research paper had been Primary Quantitative. That is why one survey had been outlined and a good number of samples had been engaged in that survey (Cyr, 2016). The direct opinions of the samples had thus been measured on statistical terms. The research had been conducted in Malaysia. It is because the research had been about Malaysian tourism therefore the survey should have been demonstrated on a realistic basis. That is why Malaysia was chosen as the survey destination. One questionnaire had been made at the very first for the survey. The questionnaire had both close-ended and like-art scale typed questions and each of these questions was asked to total 50 samples (Basias and Pollalis, 2018). The questions had been framed on the better offerings that Malaysian tourism sector can offer to the global tourists and the tourists will be asked directly about their choices. Hence, from the opinions and expectations of the samples, the desired pull factors will be outlined for Malaysian tourism so that it can overcome the tourist decline issue very soon.

Measurement
This considered research had been outlined for measuring the present and future context of Malaysian tourism. The research paper had at first tried to understand the present-day scenario of Malaysian tourism whether it is able to generate enough tourists’ satisfaction context or not. Then it had demonstrated one critical evaluation on the present context of tourist satisfaction, revisit intention and destination loyalty contexts. Some pull factors then will be proposed for Malaysian tourism through which it can mitigate its tourists; decline issue and can appeal more global tourists to visitMalaysia.

Findings and Data analysis
Which factors do you feel can make Malaysian Tourism more appealing to global tourists?

Factors	Answered
Travel and adventure events	15
Local culture and history	10
Food trails	20
Others	05