Community Members Involvement in Community Development Programme: Homestay Programme in Kedah

The Malaysian government is presently promoting tourism in the rural areas of Malaysia to increase tourism product choices. Rural tourism is also promoted to help in the development of these areas. An increasing number of communities have started their own homestay programs, which offer holiday experience in rural settings. These programs are mostly operated by the local communities and require local involvements, fulfilling the criteria that qualify them as using sustainable tourism development approach. This article discusses findings from a recent study aimed to explore and describe the characteristics of community involvement in these programs. A framework to understand factors that may influence local involvements in two homestay programs included in the study is proposed.