Preserving, restoring or recycling traditional cultures and historic buildings can be a powerful asset to attract visitors and generate tourism revenues. This video presents how economic development can be balanced with the maintaining of cultural heritage and local traditions, in order to stimulate the tourism industry.
Heritage preservation and recycling for tourism in Malaysia
Tourism is a very important and fast-growing part of the Malaysian economy. In 2013, Malaysia recorded 25.72 million tourists arrivals, with receipts from international tourists of 20.25 billion USD.
So finding the right balance between the development of a modern way of life, buildings and infrastructures, and conservation of traditions, architecture and culture is critical to ensure the country’s attractiveness for tourists.
Modernization and preservation in Kuala Lumpur
Many tourists are interested in visiting the historic sites and learn about its past of Kuala Lumpur, so its modernization is tempered with preservation of its traditional charms and colonial influences. Between the remaining sites, tour guides explain the stories of former activities and traditions that disappeared to show the value of the Malaysian heritage.
Recycling Malacca’s history
Malacca is an old port city that is classified as a UNESCO’s World Heritage site since 2008. And though it is old and not always suitable for modern life, Malacca’s old town is still very alive thanks to tourism, walking tours and stories of its past that are transmitted to visitors.
Old buildings can be restored and transformed for new uses to cater for the tourists and their interests. In Malacca, a building from the 1960’s was transformed into a 5-star boutique hotel. Such a project is not easy and can be quite costly, but it is a responsibility and a pleasure to keep and share one’s heritage.
The careful restoring and preservation of traditional buildings provides significant benefits for the local economies and communities. Well-kept heritage buildings become magnets that attract tourists, curious to learn about the local cultures and traditional way of life.
Yet, the use of heritage buildings should be carefully monitored. New uses of heritage buildings should not alter them, while enabling for modern activities that ensure attractiveness to tourists, life and activity of the local community and businesses.
Business Circle video published on Youtube by PemanduETP in August 2014
