ISSN: 2222-6990
Open access
Recreational hiking tourism in ecotourism or nature-based sites is associated with a range of individual health effect outcomes. Although these outcomes have been extensively studied, there is little narration in the academic literature about the investigation on hiking. Hiking is one of the popular ecotourism activities in Malaysia that immerse with nature and is connected with health and wellness benefits. This paper review hiking tourism foundation, development and significant contributions in a growing array of relevant publications, and it also discusses the future prospect of the sector on post Covid-19 pandemic. The review study traces down the hiking tourism evolution from origin to the transformation trend from the context of Malaysia. A total of 65 publications relevant to the present study were identified, as a result, this study anticipates six relevance and topicality in hiking tourism studies for the academic research. We concluded this study by having the discussion on trends and implications for governing bodies, hiking enthusiasts and future research.
Abdurahman, A. Z. A., Ali, J. K., Khedif, L. Y. B., Bohari, Z., Ahmad, J. A., & Kibat, S. A. (2016). Ecotourism Product Attributes and Tourist Attractions: UiTM Undergraduate Studies. Procedia - Social and Behavioural Sciences, 224 (August 2015), 360–367.
Abraham, A., Sommerhalder, K., & Abel, T. (2010). Landscape and well-being: A scoping study on the health-promoting impact of outdoor environments. International Journal of Public Health, 55(1), 59–69.
Brodie, R. J., Hollebeek, L. D., Juric, B., & Ilic, A. (2011). Customer engagement: Conceptual domain, fundamental propositions, and implications for research. Journal of Service Research, 14(3), 252–271.
Brodie, R. J., Ilic, A., Juric, B., & Hollebeek, L. (2013). Consumer engagement in a virtual brand community: An exploratory analysis. Journal of Business Research, 66(1), 105–114.
Brymer, E., & Marie Lacaze, A. (2013). The benefits of ecotourism for visitor wellness. In R. Ballantyne and J. Packer (Eds.), International Handbook on Ecotourism (1st Edition, pp. 217–229). Edward Elgar Publishing Limited.
Capaldi A., C. A., Dopko L., R. L., & Zelenski, J. M. (2014). The relationship between nature connectedness and happiness: A meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 5(AUG), 1–15.
Capaldi, C., Passmore, H.-A., Nisbet, E., Zelenski, J., & Dopko, R. (2015). Flourishing in nature: A review of the benefits of connecting with nature and its application as a wellbeing intervention. International Journal of Wellbeing, 5(4), 1–16.
Carvache-Franco, M., Segarra-Oña, M., & Carrascosa-López, C. (2019). Segmentation by motivation in ecotourism: Application to protected areas in Guayas, Ecuador. Sustainability (Switzerland), 11(1), 1–19.
Cheesbrough, A. E., Garvin, T., & Nykiforuk, C. I. J. (2019). Everyday wild: Urban natural areas, health, and well-being. Health and Place, 56(January), 43–52.
Cheng, M. (2018). A cross-cultural comparison of East and Western academic literature on adventure tourism. Tourist Studies, 18(4), 357–374.
Ching, J. L., Lo, M. C., Suaidi, M. K., Mohamad, A. A., & Chin, C. H. (2019). Tourists’ Perspective on Ecotourism Destination Competitiveness: The Role of Tangible Components. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 9(11), 335–357.
Fang, W. T. (2020). Ecotourism. In W. T. Fang (Ed.), Tourism in Emerging Economies (pp. 177–207). Springer Nature Singapore.
Farkic, J., & Taylor, S. (2019). Rethinking Tourist Wellbeing through the Concept of Slow Adventure. Sports, 7(8), 190.
Ferrari, S., & Gilli, M. (2017). Protected natural areas as innovative health tourism destinations. In M. K. Smith & L. Puczko (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Health Tourism (1st ed., pp. 419–429). Routledge.
Foo, L.-P., Chin, M.-Y., Tan, K.-L., & Phuah, K.-T. (2020). The impact of COVID-19 on tourism industry in Malaysia. Current Issues in Tourism, 0(0), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2020.1777951
Gaffar, V., Yuniawati, Y., & Ridwanudinm, O. (2019). A Study of Outdoor Recreation Motivation and Activity Preferences. Journal of Southwest Jiaotong University, 54(3).
Gomez-Martin, M. B. (2019). Hiking tourism in Spain: Origins, issues and transformations. Sustainability (Switzerland), 11(13).
Hairom, N. (2020). Pendaki bukan sekadar jadi pelancong gunung. Analisis Sinar, 1–7. https://www.sinarharian.com.my/article/61373/Analisis-Sinar/Pendaki-bukan-sekadar-jadi-pelancong-gunung
Hanna, P., Wijesinghe, S., Paliatsos, I., Walker, C., Adams, M., & Kimbu, A. (2019). Active engagement with nature: outdoor adventure tourism, sustainability and wellbeing. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 27(9), 1355–1373.
Hassan, H., Hanim, N., & Azmi, M. (2019). Satisfaction in Tourism Operations. International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change, 8(12), 18–35. www.ijicc.net
Hollebeek, L. D., Glynn, M. S., & Brodie, R. J. (2014). Consumer brand engagement in social media: Conceptualization, scale development and validation. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 28(2), 149–165.
Holt, E. W., Lombard, Q. K., Best, N., Smiley-Smith, S., & Quinn, J. E. (2019). Active and passive use of green space, health, and well-being amongst university students. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(3).
Hong, Y., Cai, G., Mo, Z., Gao, W., Xu, L., Jiang, Y., & Jiang, J. (2020). The impact of covid-19 on tourist satisfaction with b&b in zhejiang, china: An importance– performance analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(10). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17103747
Huang, S., & Choi, H. S. C. (2019). Developing and validating a multidimensional tourist engagement scale (TES). Service Industries Journal, 39(7–8), 469–497.
Hunt, C. A., & Harbor, L. C. (2019). Pro-environmental tourism: Lessons from adventure, wellness and eco-tourism (AWE) in Costa Rica. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, July, 100202.
Ionel, M. (2019). Ecotourism and Its Importance on the Tourism Market. “Ovidius” University Annals, Economic Sciences Series, XIX (2), 300–305.
Ithnin, H. (2017). 12 Gunung Popular Idaman Pendaki. Harian Metro Online, 1–6. https://www.hmetro.com.my/nuansa/2017/12/292989/12-gunung-popular-idaman-pendaki
Kay, G., and Moxham, N. (1996). Paths for whom? Countryside access for recreational walking. Leisure Studies, 15(3), 171–183.
Kellert, S., & Wilson, E. O. (1993). The Biophilia Hypothesis, Island Press, Washington.
Kim, H., Lee, S., Uysal, M., Kim, J., & Ahn, K. (2015). Nature-Based Tourism: Motivation and Subjective Well-Being. Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing, 32(September), S76–S96.
Kim, H., Woo, E., & Uysal, M. (2015). Tourism experience and quality of life among elderly tourists. Tourism Management, 46, 465–476.
Larson, L. R., Szczytko, R., Bowers, E. P., Stephens, L. E., Stevenson, K. T., & Floyd, M. F. (2019). Outdoor Time, Screen Time, and Connection to Nature: Troubling Trends Among Rural Youth? Environment and Behaviour, 51(8), 966–991.
Lee, S. A., Manthiou, A., Chiang, L., & Tang, L. R. (2017). An assessment of value dimensions in hiking tourism: Pathways toward quality of life. International Journal of Tourism Research, 20(2), 236–246.
Lei, S. I., Ye, S., Wang, D., & Law, R. (2020). Engaging Customers in Value Co-Creation Through Mobile Instant Messaging in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, 44(2), 229–251.
Mackenzie, S. H., & Hodge, K. (2019). Adventure recreation and subjective well-being: a conceptual framework. Leisure Studies, 00(00), 1–15.
Raya, M. J., Martínez-Garcia, E., & Celma, D. (2018). Economic and social yield of investing in hiking tourism: the case of Berguedà, Spain. Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing, 35(2), 148–161.
Meredith, G. R., Rakow, D. A., Eldermire, E. R. B., Madsen, C. G., Shelley, S. P., & Sachs, N. A. (2020). Minimum Time Dose in Nature to Positively Impact the Mental Health of College-Aged Students, and How to Measure It: A Scoping Review. Frontiers in Psychology, 10(January), 1–16.
Mutanga, C. N., Vengesayi, S., Chikuta, O., Muboko, N., & Gandiwa, E. (2017). Travel motivation and tourist satisfaction with wildlife tourism experiences in Gonarezhou and Matusadona National Parks, Zimbabwe. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, 20(June), 1–18.
Nasir, M. N. M., Mohamad, M., Ghani, N. I. A., & Afthanorhan, A. (2020). Testing mediation roles of place attachment and tourist satisfaction on destination attractiveness and destination loyalty relationship using phantom approach. Management Science Letters, 10(2), 443–454.
Nordbo, I., Engilbertsson, H. O., & Vale, L. S. R. (2014). Market Myopia in the Development of Hiking Destinations: The Case of Norwegian DMOs. Journal of Hospitality Marketing and Management, 23(4), 380–405.
Nordbo, I., & Prebensen, N. K. (2015). Hiking as Mental and Physical Experience. Advances in Hospitality and Leisure, 11, 169–186.
Oh, M., Kim, S., Choi, Y., & Pratt, S. (2019). Examination of benefits sought by hiking tourists: a comparison of impact-range performance analysis and impact asymmetry analysis. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 24(8), 850–864.
Oviedo-García, M. Á., Castellanos-Verdugo, M., Vega-Vázquez, M., & Orgaz-Agüera, F. (2016). The mediating roles of the overall perceived value of the ecotourism site and attitudes towards ecotourism in sustainability through the key relationship ecotourism knowledge-ecotourist satisfaction. International Journal of Tourism Research.
Pomfret, G., & Bramwell, B. (2014). The characteristics and motivational decisions of outdoor adventure tourists: a review and analysis. Current Issues in Tourism, January 2015, 37–41.
Ramkissoon, H., Mavondo, F., & Uysal, M. (2018). Social involvement and park citizenship as moderators for quality-of-life in a national park. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 26(3), 341–361. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2017.1354866
Rathakrishnan, B., & Kamaluddin, M. R. (2020). Mental Health Issues during COVID-19 Pandemic?: Treatment and How to Overcome. MJP Online Early.
Rather, R. A., Hollebeek, L. D., & Islam, J. U. (2019). Tourism-based customer engagement: the construct, antecedents, and consequences. Service Industries Journal, 39(7–8), 519–540.
Reusen, B. (2015). 10 Mountains to Climb in Thailand with the Most Incredible Views. Tripzilla.Com. https://www.tripzilla.com/mountains-thailand-incredible-views/56759
Rhama, B. (2020). The meta-analysis of ecotourism in National Parks. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 9(1), 1–17.
Rodrigues, A., Kastenholz, E., & Rodrigues, A. (2010). Hiking as a relevant wellness activity - an exploratory study of hiking tourists in portugal. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 16(4), 331–343.
Saha, S. K., Babai, T. C., & Saha, S. (2018). Adventure Tourism in Meghalaya. Journal of Tourism & Hospitality, 07(02).
Shanahan, D. F., Astell–Burt, T., Barber, E. A., Brymer, E., Cox, D. T. C., Dean, J., Depledge, M., Fuller, R. A., Hartig, T., Irvine, K. N., Jones, A., Kikillus, H., Lovell, R., Mitchell, R., Niemelä, J., Nieuwenhuijsen, M., Pretty, J., Townsend, M., van Heezik, Y., … Gaston, K. J. (2019). Nature–Based Interventions for Improving Health and Wellbeing: The Purpose, the People and the Outcomes. Sports, 7(6), 141.
She, S., Tian, Y., Lu, L., Eimontaite, I., Xie, T., & Sun, Y. (2019). An exploration of hiking risk perception: Dimensions and antecedent factors. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(11).
So, K. K. F., King, C., & Sparks, B. (2014). Customer Engagement with Tourism Brands: Scale Development and Validation. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, 38(3), 304–329.
So, K. K. F., King, C., Sparks, B. A., & Wang, Y. (2016). The Role of Customer Engagement in Building Consumer Loyalty to Tourism Brands. Journal of Travel Research, 55(1), 64–78.
Svarstad, H. (2010). Why hiking? Rationality and reflexivity within three categories of meaning construction. Journal of Leisure Research, 42(1), 91–110.
Taher, S. H. M., & Jamal, S. A. (2012). Determinants of mountaineers’ decision to climb: An innovative marketing for mountaineering tourism. ICIMTR 2012 - 2012 International Conference on Innovation, Management and Technology Research, 646–651.
Taher, S. H. M., Jamal, S. A., Sumarjan, N., & Aminudin, N. (2015). Examining the structural relations among hikers’ assessment of pull-factors, satisfaction and revisit intentions: The case of mountain tourism in Malaysia. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, 12, 82–88.
UNWTO. (2014). Global Report on Adventure Tourism. Report, 9, 88.
Vada, S., Prentice, C., Scott, N., & Hsiao, A. (2020). Positive psychology and tourist well-being: A systematic literature review. Tourism Management Perspectives, 33(December 2019), 100631.
Kumara, V. K. S., & Binoy, T. A. (2020). “Eco -tourism for natural and cultural heritage protection- A study on Kudremukha National Park, Karnataka.” Our Heritage, 68(30), 2246–2257.
Wen, J., Kozak, M., Yang, S., and Liu, F. (2020). COVID-19: potential effects on Chinese citizens’ lifestyle and travel. Tourism Review, March. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-03-2020-0110
Yaakob, S. S. N., Mohamed, S., & Aziz, A. (2012). Mountain trails as an ecotourism product in Malaysia: Proposed classification and grading. Malaysian Forester, 75(2), 119–126.
Yuniawati, Y., Ridwanudinm, O., & Pancawati, D. (2019). An Investigation into hiking motivation. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 9(3), 782–788.
Zhai, Y., & Du, X. (2020). Mental health care for international Chinese students affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. The Lancet Psychiatry, 7(4), e22. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30089-4
Zong, J. T., Sun, J., Dai, J. M., & Rao, F. M. (2020). Research on development of health tourism products in Qinling Mountains. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, 403(1), 64–71.
In-Text Citation: (Nordin & Jamal, 2021)
To Cite this Article: Nordin, M. R., & Jamal, S. A. (2021). Hiking Tourism in Malaysia: Origins, Benefits and Post Covid-19 Transformations. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 11(13), 88–100.
Copyright: © 2021 The Author(s)
Published by HRMARS (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode