As Sarawak strengthens its position as a destination for responsible and sustainable tourism, one important question continues to surface: what actually encourages tourists to behave responsibly?
While policies, sustainability certifications, and tourism campaigns are often emphasised, responsible tourism ultimately begins with something far more fundamental — awareness.
The foundation of responsible behaviour
Responsible tourism involves conscious efforts by tourists, operators and stakeholders to reduce negative impacts while enhancing positive contributions to the environment, local cultures, and economies of the destinations they visit.
It manifests in three pillars, including environmental stewardship (e.g., reducing waste, conserving nature), socio-cultural respect (e.g., honouring local traditions, supporting indigenous heritage), and economic equity (e.g., patronising local businesses, ensuring fair distribution of tourism revenue).
Responsible tourism represents the behavioural and operational means through which sustainable tourism (a broader, macro-level goal of ensuring the long-term viability of the tourism industry as a whole) is ultimately achieved.
While environmental stewardship often receives the most public attention, responsible tourism remains fundamentally incomplete without equal consideration of socio-cultural respect and economic equity. A truly informed tourist must therefore recognise that his/her choices affect not only the natural landscape but also the well-being of local communities and the preservation of indigenous heritage.
However, encouraging tourists to behave responsibly is more complex than simply promoting these values. Think about it this way: tourist behaviour doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It’s formed by how people think, what they value, what outcomes they expect, and how they interpret the information presented to them. If Sarawak aims to build a tourism industry that is both competitive and sustainable, understanding these behavioural dimensions is especially important.
In many tourism discussions, awareness is often treated as a supporting element rather than a central priority. But here’s the reality: awareness is the foundation of responsible behaviour. Tourists cannot be expected to act responsibly if they do not fully understand what responsible tourism means within the local context. Actions such as respecting local customs, minimising waste, supporting local businesses or protecting natural environments may appear simple but they require tourists to first recognise why these actions matter.
Why ‘awareness’ matters in Sarawak’s responsible tourism scene?
“Awareness” is particularly relevant in destinations like Sarawak, which are heavily centred on nature and indigenous culture, where the principles of responsible tourism must apply universally across all travel experiences. Awareness does more than increase knowledge.
A recent study, “Understanding Ecotourists’ Responsible Tourism Intention in Sarawak through Social Cognitive Theory,” surveyed 383 ecotourists across six major national parks and nature reserves in Sarawak. The research found that awareness significantly influences tourists’ intention to practise responsible tourism, confirming that visitors who are more informed about responsible practices are more likely to act responsibly. When tourists understand the consequences of their actions, they are generally more willing to support sustainable practices.
At the same time, tourists are also influenced by their expectations of outcomes. People are more likely to engage in responsible tourism when they believe their actions can generate meaningful benefits, whether through environmental conservation, community well-being, cultural preservation, or personal satisfaction. Tourists need to see that responsible behaviour leads to visible and worthwhile outcomes.
Consider the community-led homestay programmes in Sarawak’s rural areas. When tourists stay with indigenous families in places like the longhouses of the Iban or Bidayuh communities, they don’t just sleep in a traditional setting but they participate in daily activities, learn about local customs and develop genuine connections with their hosts.
These homestays often operate with strict guidelines about waste management, cultural respect and environmental protection. Tourists leave with a much deeper understanding of responsible tourism because they’ve experienced it firsthand. They understand why preserving cultural traditions matters, not because a brochure told them, but because they’ve seen how these traditions affect community life.
Practical steps for tourism operators
This example highlights an important lesson: awareness is best built through experience. Thus, what can tourism businesses and destination managers actually do to create these kinds of experiences? Here are actionable recommendations:
- Redesign services with sustainability in mind. Offer refillable water stations, eliminate single-use plastics and make recycling bins clearly visible and accessible.
- Create meaningful community engagement opportunities. Collaborate with community members to design authentic experiences where tourists learn directly from locals about their traditions and ways of life. Ensure economic benefits flow to these communities.
- Invest in staff training beyond customer service. Frontline employees should be knowledgeable about local culture, environmental issues, and sustainable practices. They should explain why certain behaviours matter, not just enforce rules.
- Develop infrastructure that supports responsible choices. Well-designed signage, accessible waste disposal systems and cultural interpretation materials all help translate awareness into action.
The way forward for Sarawak’s tourism operators
Therefore, what should Sarawak’s tourism operators do move forward? First, they must move toward practical behavioural strategies that influence how tourists think, feel, and act throughout their travel journey. This means integrating awareness-building into every touchpoint of the visitor experience, from pre-trip marketing to on-site interactions.
Tourism businesses should collaborate more closely with local communities to ensure tourism development benefits everyone fairly. This includes partnering with indigenous groups to co-create experiences, sourcing products locally and reinvesting profits into community projects.
Operators should invest in ongoing education for both staff and visitors. This could involve developing interpretive materials explaining the cultural and environmental significance of sites, offering guided tours led by knowledgeable locals and creating opportunities for tourists to participate in conservation or cultural preservation activities.
Awareness-building should not be treated as a short-term campaign but as a long-term strategic investment. The more informed tourists become, the more likely they are to develop positive attitudes and ultimately more responsible tourism practices. The challenge now is ensuring tourism growth is supported by behavioural awareness and responsible participation from all stakeholders.
Ultimately, responsible tourism is not achieved through messaging alone. It requires collaboration between government agencies, tourism businesses, local communities, educators, content creators and travellers.
More importantly, it requires recognising that sustainable tourism begins not only with infrastructure or policy but with awareness that shapes everyday behaviour. By equipping travellers with knowledge and understanding, we create informed visitors who make responsible choices naturally, fulfilling the vision of a truly sustainable tourism industry in Sarawak.
Chan Wei Chiang.
School of Business,
Faculty of Business, Design and Arts,
Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus.
The views expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of Sarawak Tribune. The writer can be reached at mvoon@swinburne.edu.my.
