Sustainable tourism development: A study on community resilience for rural tourism in Malaysia

The paper discusses the resiliency of the rural communities in Malaysia with the help of the sustainability planning in rural tourism. It covers the rural sustainable development background, the community resiliency elements and the role of the local government. The methodology includes site observation and extensive literature reviews. The findings of the research suggest that a sustainable tourism development in rural area will contribute to an improved resiliency within the local community. Some strategies are needed to ensure the sustainable development or rural tourism and to sustain the local community resiliency. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.