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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 9, No. 9
Publication Date: September 25, 2022
DOI:10.14738/assrj.99.13198. Wee, H., Zulkifli, N., Zakaria, M. A. A., Azhar, N. A., Yunus, M. F., & Zailani, N. F. I. (2022). Exploring Destination Attractiveness as a
Future Senior-Friendly Destination: The Case of Langkawi Island. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 9(9). 529-543.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
Exploring Destination Attractiveness as a Future Senior-Friendly
Destination: The Case of Langkawi Island
Hassnah Wee
Faculty of Hotel & Tourism Management
Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Selangor; Malaysia
Nabila Binti Zulkifli
Faculty of Hotel & Tourism Management
Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Selangor; Malaysia
Muhammad Aniq Anas Zakaria
Faculty of Hotel & Tourism Management
Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Selangor; Malaysia
Nurul Atiqah Binti Azhar
Faculty of Hotel & Tourism Management
Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Selangor; Malaysia
Muhammad Fahmi Yunus
Faculty of Hotel & Tourism Management
Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Selangor; Malaysia
Nurul Farah Izzah Zailani
School of Hospitality and Creative Arts
Management and Science University, Shah Alam; Malaysia
ABSTRACT
The goal of this research is to look into Langkawi's desirability as a potential senior- friendly destination in Malaysia through the eyes of a middle-aged tourist. The four
attractiveness dimensions of a prospective senior-friendly location developed in
the research framework are attractions, accessibility, amenities, and
complementary services. Malaysians aged 40 to 54 make up the study's sample
population. The descriptive analysis is used in the study to expand on the data and
interpret it into findings. One hundred twenty-six respondents found
that attractions are the most impactful feature of a senior-friendly destination.
Various cultural and historical monuments, such as Makam Mahsuri and Padang
Mat Sirat, influenced middle-aged travellers' preferences and choices. The result
also highlights four attractive factors that players in the Langkawi tourism industry
can employ to increase tourist satisfaction and obtain a competitive advantage over
other tourism locations. Stakeholders should work to improve the destination's
attractiveness to fulfil the needs of senior tourists and make it a future senior- friendly attraction by 2050. The study results provide an opportunity for
theoretical expansion in the highlighted academic and practical implications.
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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 9, Issue 9, September-2022
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Keywords: Destination Attribute; Senior-friendly Destination; Island Tourism; Langkawi
INTRODUCTION
Global demographics are shifting dramatically toward an older population. This transformation
opens numerous opportunities for senior-friendly products and services, including tourism (1,
2). However, the tourist industry lacks senior-friendly products and services and thus must
focus on ensuring equal rights for senior citizens through universally designed products (3). By
2050, the growing senior market is expected to account for nearly a quarter or more of the
population (4). They are now more important than ever in the industry (5). The author added
that older adults, particularly "baby boomers" (individuals born between 1946 and 1964), are
creating markets that are increasingly adopting the "leisure experience" in their tourist
activities. According to estimates by United Nations (6), more than two billion people will be
over 60 by 2050. This will represent 22% (or one in five) of the world's population, up from
10% in 2000, and this demographic shift will be visible on all continents. In the future, older
people will account for a larger share of total vacation spending than all younger cohort groups
combined, which is one of the most significant knock-on effects.
According to Hirschmann (7), in 2021, approximately 39% of all domestic visitors in Malaysia
will be between the ages of 25 and 39. On the other hand, 14% of all domestic travellers in
Malaysia were 55 years old or older. As a result of various factors, such as accessibility, facilities,
infrastructure, safety, and services, several issues arise. Despite Malaysians' increased life
expectancy due to sophisticated medical care and improvements in hygiene and food supply
(8), the country's public infrastructure and services have not kept pace with senior demands
(9). This is becoming an increasing problem in developing countries such as Malaysia, which
lacks the time required to modify and construct the infrastructure and regulations required to
meet the needs of its rapidly changing demography (10). With a steady increase in the number
of seniors entering retirement in Malaysia and around the world, leisure travel contributes to
the market's continued growth (11). More research on Asian senior tourism is needed to
determine how to meet their needs and desires best.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Domestic Tourism Survey (12) reported that Langkawi Island was voted as the main
destinations visited by domestic visitors and tourists to Kedah in years 2019 and 2020
respectively. According to the Chow (13) the Langkawi Ferry Terminal was inundated with
local and international tourists on peak days due to infrastructure issues that could not support
the increased number of terminal visitors. The report added that a group of coworkers and
students complained about the state of the restrooms at the Langkawi terminal. Although the
Langkawi terminal is aesthetically pleasing, passengers are unhappy with its infrastructure and
services. There are often long lines of cars and tourists at the Langkawi ferry terminals during
busy times like school breaks and national events held in Langkawi (14). However, the
deterioration of the entire public transportation infrastructure due to decades of poor planning
has already put senior visitors at a disadvantage, forcing them to bring their own vehicles or
rent cars at the pier. Senior travellers find it difficult to visit new places in Langkawi and must
do so independently. It is difficult for senior travellers to use public transportation in Langkawi
because there are insufficient buses connecting bus stops to hotel areas and tourist attractions.
Senior mobility, community support, environmental support, and social support should be
prioritised in tourism destinations, such as reliable public transit and senior-friendly outdoor
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Wee, H., Zulkifli, N., Zakaria, M. A. A., Azhar, N. A., Yunus, M. F., & Zailani, N. F. I. (2022). Exploring Destination Attractiveness as a Future Senior- Friendly Destination: The Case of Langkawi Island. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 9(9). 529-543.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.99.13198
spaces and buildings (11). Besides, the deterioration of the entire public transit infrastructure
due to decades of poor planning already disadvantaged older visitors, forcing them to bring
their cars or hire cars at the jetty. Senior travellers find it difficult to see new areas in Langkawi
and must make their way there. Furthermore, due to a significant lack of intermediary buses
that transfer passengers from bus stops to hotel areas and tourist attractions, elderly visitors
find it difficult to use public transit while visiting Langkawi.
Senior tourism as somewhat distinct from younger generations. Senior tourism is distinguished
by a high demand for safety, personalised service, and health care (15). Much of the success of
senior tourism depends on how well the key players collaborate to provide the senior tourist
with an unforgettable experience. Special consideration should be given to elderly tourists to
facilitate their access to medical care. This would increase the senior traveller's confidence,
which is required to amass mental strength and embark on a travel itinerary. The success of
senior tourism depends on gaining the confidence of these older tourists. As a result, Langkawi
stakeholders should improve the destination's appeal to meet the needs of senior tourists and
make it a future senior-friendly attraction by 2050. Hence, this study explored the Langkawi
destination’s attractiveness as a future senior-friendly destination. The researchers assessed
the demographic profile of prospective senior tourists visiting Langkawi and established the
essential dimension of Langkawi's attractiveness as a future senior-friendly destination among
middle-aged Malaysian tourists. There were two objectives established for the study.
Research objective 1: To determine the characteristic of Langkawi's destination attractiveness
as a future senior-friendly tourism destination among middle-aged tourists in Malaysia.
Research objective 2: To identify the most preferred destination attractiveness characteristics
that influence Langkawi as a future senior-friendly destination among middle-aged tourists in
Malaysia
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Senior Tourist
Previous research in the tourism context has characterised seniors as individuals over 35 years
old (16), 50 years old (17), 55 years old (18), and 60 years old (19,20). Although their calendar
age generally states the term "senior," there is no agreement on the minimum age of a senior in
this literature (21). Others foresee an increase in the average age of senior travellers. As a result,
the traditional "young senior" age range of 55 to 60 should no longer be considered senior (22).
Researchers observed numerous cut-off ages ranging from 50 to 65, with younger age groups
increasingly labelled seniors (23). Furthermore, when people reach the age of 40, the number
of anabolic hormones and neuromuscular alterations reduce, as does muscle protein turnover,
kicking off the ageing process (24). Another study classified the population into two age groups:
those aged 40 to 65, known as "middle-aged tourists," and those beyond the age of 66, known
as "senior tourists" (19). The key market segments targeted by this study were Malaysian future
seniors and seniors, defined as those over 40 who have travelled to Langkawi.
Middle-aged Tourist
United Nations described middle-aged travellers are between the ages of 40 and 59, whereas
older tourists are over 60 (4). It is anticipated that by 2030, more than two billion people will
be above 60. This report estimates that more than two billion people will be over 60 by 2050.
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This trend will represent 22% (or one in five) of the world's population, up from 10% in 2000,
and this demographic shift will be visible on all continents. This information indicates that
middle-aged tourists are likely to become senior tourists in Malaysia, and their traits and
behaviour will be vital in shaping the future senior tourist trend.
In addition, a middle-aged adult is a person who will soon approach the senior age phase (25).
According to this study, according to their approximate age, middle-aged generations will
behave more like senior tourists, with no drop in travel inclination as they age from late middle
to early senior. These highlights are crucial for undertaking a comparative analysis of the
prospective senior group to gain a deeper understanding of their travel perspectives (11).
Moreover, one study categorised the population into two age groups: "middle-aged tourists"
between the ages of 40 and 65 and "senior tourists" older than 66 (19). Due to the uniform and
consistent patterns of human behaviour in old age, the current activities of middle-aged
travellers are indicative of their future lifestyles (26). This study focuses on middle-aged and
elderly travellers to acquire a better grasp of the heterogeneity between these two groups.
Aging Population in Malaysia
According to Lee and King (2), there are symbolic shifts in the entire world's demography
toward the senior population. This transition enables them to plan senior-friendly services and
goods in various settings, such as tourism for the elderly. Furthermore, the elderly population
in Malaysia is continuously growing. Based to the Malaysian Department of Statistics (27), the
number of older Malaysians will rise by 14% to 5.6 million by 2030. Like many other countries,
such as Japan and Italy, Malaysia already has an ageing population as mortality rates rise faster
than fertility rates (28). The government and business sectors have taken this issue seriously,
and they are trying to improve the existing facilities at the tourist spot to make it an elder- friendly destination. The New Straits Times (9) reported that the elderly must be active or else
they will become weaker. As a result, many stakeholders have launched several efforts to
provide a space for senior tourists to visit many attractive sites in Malaysia and create new
memories by participating in various unique activities planned exclusively for them.
Furthermore, to ensure that older visitors remain productive and engaged, they must focus
more on community help, senior mobility, and environmental and social support via senior- friendly outdoor spaces, building structures, and transportation (11).
Destination Attractiveness
The attractiveness of a destination refers to the mental image of a location created by the
physical attractions that can be accessed there (29). However, Cooper et al. (30) defined four
categories of destination attributes: attractions, access, amenities, and supplementary services.
Thus, to provide a positive tourist experience, the related authorities must provide top-quality
services in all categories mentioned. Meanwhile, Buhalis (31) stated and claimed that the
category in Cooper et al. (30) framework should be 6As: attractions, accessibility, amenities,
available packages, activities, and ancillary services. Owusu-frimpong et al. (32) argued that
elements other than the physical characteristics of a location must be considered to
comprehend how tourists perceive a tourism product. Hu and Ritchie (33) defined destination
attractiveness as a combination of the relative significance of individual advantages and the
destination's apparent capacity to impart individual advantages. According to Medina-Munoz
(34), destination attractiveness is meaning by whether stakeholders have the potential or not
to attract and please prospective tourists. The attractiveness of a location varies according to