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Sport as a tourism attraction in Malaysia: Potential and prospects

Jabil Mapjabil¹, Mazdi Marzuki², Mohd Jirey Kumalah¹, Logeswaran Tangavello¹, Mohammad Kadir Zainal
Abidin¹

¹Unit Penyelidikan Etnografi dan Pembangunan, Fakulti Kemanusiaan, Seni dan Warisan, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, ²Jabatan
Geografi, Fakulti Sains Kemanusiaan, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris

Correspondence: Jabil Mapjabil (email: jabil@ums.edu.my)

Abstract

Sport tourism has become a popular sub-sector in the tourism industry today. Until the early 1990s, tourism and
sports existed as two distinct areas of activities but the success in organizing the World Conference on Sport Tourism
in Barcelona, Spain 2001has resulted in more serious attention being paid to this sector. Before, scholars, decision-
makers and governments involved in the field of tourism and sports perceived their respective profits independently
of one another; now it is realised that the benefits generated by the synergy of both is far greater. This study
examines the development of sport tourism in Malaysia. It was found that the success in organizing the race Le Tour
de Langkawi in 1996 was a turning point in the government's focus on the development of the sport tourism sector.
Currently, Malaysia is known for organizing several world-class sport events, among them the Royal Langkawi
International Regatta (January), Ironman Triathlon (February), Formula 1 Grand Prix Malaysia (March), FEI
Showjumping World Cup (May), Petronas Primax 3 Merdeka Millennium Endurance Race (July), Super GT
(August), Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix (September), A1GP Malaysia (November) and Monsoon Cup
(December). All these world-class sporting events bring substantial returns to the society and the economy. The
strengths of sports as a tourism attraction include the length of time in which the events take place, extensive
publicity coverage through the print and electronic media, sponsorship from various domestic and multinational
companies and business opportunities provided to local residents during the event.

Keywords: sport publicity, sport tourism attraction, sport tourism potential, sport tourism prospects, sport tourism,
sport tourism synergy

Introduction

According to Bhatia (1986), tourism is a smokeless industry because there is no production process in a
factory; the source of income is generated through a variety of services offered to tourists. Tourism is a
combination of a variety of activities, services and industries that provide a travel experience
encompassing transportation, accommodation, food and beverages, shopping, entertainment, activities and
other hospitality services which are provided to an individual or groups of tourists who are away from
home (Goeldner & Ritchie, 2006). This concept is closely related to the core tourism model proposed by
Medlik (1996). According to him, tourism is an industry that includes the firms and organizations
providing services and features of tourism attractions to the tourists. Recently in Malaysia, one of the
tourism sectors has been emphasized, namely tourism involving sport activities. Sport-based tourism has
the potential to become a tourism product which can yield high economic returns to the country. The
presence of large audiences and the involvement of domestic and international participants in sporting
events have contributed to the national income. The earnings from tourism has increased continuously
each year. This indicates that the tourism industry in Malaysia will continue to grow and potentially
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contribute hugely to the economy. This is not surprising since the country is endowed with many beautiful
islands, attractive highlands and a variety of heritages.
Tourism and sport are both the largest and fastest growing sectors throughout the world, both in the
social and economic aspects (Kurtzman & Zauhar, 2003). The success in organizing the World
Conference on Sports Tourism in Barcelona, Spain 2001 was the beginning of more serious attention
being paid to this sector and the resultant widespread coverage in the coming years (World Tourism
Organisation & International Olympic Committee, 2001). Sport tourism involves all forms of active and
passive participation in sporting activities, participated in casually or in an organized way for non-
commercial or business / commercial reasons, that necessitate travel away from the home and work
locality (Standeven & De Knop, 1999). Standeven and De Knop presented a theoretical framework related
to sport tourism which is divided into the passive and active component . The passive form of sports
holiday includes either the casual observer or the connoisseur while the active form of sports is divided
into 'vacation sport activities' and 'holiday sport activities'.

Sport tourism: Literature review

According to Glyptis (1991), until the early 1990s tourism and the sports sector have evolved as two
distinct areas of activities. In the period 1990-1995, a large number of scholars, decision-makers and
governments involved in the field of tourism and sports appeared to have ignored the potential and
benefits that can be generated collectively from the synthesis of both fields. This is despite studies that
have examined the interdependence between tourism and sports (Redmond, 1990; Weed & Bull, 1997;
Standeven & De Knop, 1999). Studies at the international level revealed that sport tourism creates quite an
impact on the economy of a country when particular sporting events are organized. A survey done by
Jones (2001) on the Rugby World Cup Championship (RWC) tournament held in Wales in 1999 found
that a profit of $ 1.3 billion was earned by the country and attracted 1.7 million visitors to watch the
tournament. Similarly, the organization of an international golf event held at La Costa, California, United
States drew a crowd of 75,000 people, including spectators, tournament officials, team officials and media
crews. The PGA Tour Championship in United States brought a return of $ 25 million to the local
economy, particularly in food, entertainment and souvenirs (Md Amin, 2003). There are a variety of
classifications of sport and tourism depending on interests of the researchers on the particular matter.
Sport and tourism are closely interrelated and have become one of the booming tourism products in
developing countries. It can also attract a large number of viewers and augment the economic activities of
the local community (Mules & Faulkner, 1996).
Sport tourism involves attractions providing physical activities which encourage travellers to take a day
off in a particular tourism destination. According to Gibson (1998), sport tourism occurs when an
individual leaves his usual everyday environment and travel to a place in a state of holiday. During the
holiday, he is either directly involved in physical activities or at least is watching a competition where
these activities take place. The ability of a country to organize world-class sports can be the catalyst for
infrastructural development, income generation and economic development.
However, a study by Nunn and Rosentraub (1997) on the impact of sports on the host community
where professional sports are held concluded that the expected benefits from the organization of sports are
hardly enjoyed by the local residents. New employment opportunities are not generated as these jobs or
services are usually associated with a professional team and require skills which the local residents may
lack. In addition, there is no significant increase in spending on food and beverages, room rentals or
workers’ salaries contributed by the participating sport teams to the local community. Instead, the benefits
that are associated with such events are related to non-economic aspects such as the pride of being the
host, a chance to enjoy the entertainment and enhancement of the image of the community.
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The development of sport tourism in Malaysia

The successful organisation of the Commonwealth Games (SUKOM 98) in Kuala Lumpur in 1998 was an
eye opener as it highlighted the value of hosting international sporting events. The Commonwealth Games
is the second largest sport event in the world after the Olympic Games. Undeniably, there have been
criticisms that the organization of sport tournaments at the international level is a waste of resources. This
is because the financial requirement of hosting such a sporting event is enormous. Large financial outlays
are necessary to ensure that the sport infrastructures are in accordance with the specifications set by
international organizations. However, the potential returns may actually be many times more than the
figures released as the income is multiplied by the entry of foreign tourists and the participation of local
spectators desiring to witness an international tournament. In general, sport tourism encompasses a
journey that requires costs and time to reach the destination where the sport event is organised. Usually,
those involved are members of a team including the managers, coaches, officials and support assistants
and athletes or players. In actual fact, the number far exceed the list of participants as it is supplemented
by their family members, sports enthusiasts who want to watch the sports live, and those who choose to
attend for reasons such as the prestige of the tournament or admiration and support of the players.
According to Hudson (2003), world tourist arrivals are estimated to increase annually by 4.3% and is
expected to reach 1.6 billion by 2020 and sport tourism is one of the factors accounting for this upsurge.
Before SUKOM 98, Malaysia had hosted a prestigious cycling event, that is, Le Tour de Langkawi in
1996. However, it failed to stir the interest of the relevant parties about the potential of sport tourism.
However, after SUKOM 98, Malaysia became well-known around the world and the community at large
became aware of the profits that can be obtained from organizing an international sporting event. The
failure of Le Tour de Langkawi as a catalyst in highlighting the potential of sport tourism to the
community can be attributed to its disorganised and poor planning. However, in the next edition of the
race, the organizers applied the lessons learnt from SUKOM 98 with great success. Le Tour de Langkawi
presently attracts the participation of world class riders and the participating teams have managed to draw
cycling enthusiasts to Malaysia.
In 1999, another international level tournament, the Formula One Championship Car Racing (F1) was
held in Malaysia. The former Malaysian Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohammad had proposed the
construction of world-class racing circuit in Sepang to stimulate the expansion of the sport tourism sector
in Malaysia. The Sepang International Circuit was officially opened on March 9, 1999 and Malaysia was
only the second Asian country besides Japan to have a world-class racing circuit then. The completion of
this circuit and the successful organisation of Formula One (F1) car racing and Moto GP racing helped to
propel the country's fame internationally and in turn attracted the interest of foreign tourists especially fans
keen on watching F1 car racing and Moto GP to come to Malaysia. Statistics showed that a single Formula
One race event contributed more than RM139 million to the national economy and this figure is expected
to soar (Azlan Akil, 2008). This indicates that sport-oriented tourism in Malaysia has great potential for
development.
In 2005, the Fifth Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, proposed that a
yacht tournament be held in Malaysia. The state of Terengganu was chosen as the venue for hosting this
competition, known as the Monsoon Cup. The Monsoon Cup championship in Terengganu is a catalyst to
the country’s economic development (Gilmour, 2008). The main objective of this competition is to help
promote Terengganu and Malaysia all over the world, besides advancing sport tourism as one of the
products to spur the country's economic development. In addition, this championship also encourages the
participation of the local community in the event. The yacht racing championship succeeded in securing
the coverage of 70 television broadcasting networks, both local and international. The total number of
spectators watching this event has increased from year to year. In 2005, the total number of spectators was
25,000 people but this grew to 33,700 people in 2006 and 81,000 people in 2007. This implies that the
total number of tourists watching the Monsoon Cup and those who travelled to the state of Terengganu has
increased every year. The growth in the number of tourist arrivals has turned the state of Terengganu into
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one of the most popular sport tourism destination while at the same time simultaneously developing the
local economy.
Sport tourism can thus contribute to the development of a country. A small and developing country
with limited natural resources has the potential to be developed as a location for organizing world-class
sport events if it is able to utilise these resources to construct the necessary infrastructure and the
supporting services (Jabil, 2014). In addition to organizing events like the Commonwealth Games, Le
Tour de Langkawi, Formula One and Monsoon Cup, Malaysia also possess sport facilities which are
among the best in the world. For example, the Bukit Jalil Sports Complex is not only the location of the
National Sports Council Headquarters (NSC) but is also the site of the High Performance Training Centre,
known as HPTC (High Performance Training Centre). With such facilities, Malaysia has successfully
attracted the attention of several countries and well known teams to use such facilities for the final phase
of their preparation before participating in a competition. Among the big names that have chosen Malaysia
as the training location are the Brazilian national football team, Chelsea and Manchester United football
teams and the Australian national swimming team before competing in the Beijing Olympics in 2014. This
clearly demonstrates that apart from organizing sports events, the infrastructural facilities in Malaysia also
serve as an attraction to international athletes to come to Malaysia.

Hosting international sports events in Malaysia

Formula 1 Racing Series

This series of car racing championship of the most sought for in the world was officially founded in 1946
and the race was originally known as the 'Formula A' before being renamed 'Formula 1'. This racing series
is watched live on television by 580 million people worldwide. The race is sanctioned by the Federation
International de Automobile (FIA). FIA is an organization that is responsible for setting the rules for this
race series. The F1 race involves the participation of various parties such as the car manufacturers Alfa
Romeo, Ferrari, Mercedes Benz, Bavarian Motor Works (BMW) and Toyota. There are also private teams
like Sauber Petronas (now known as BMW Sauber), Jordan F1 Racing Team, Torro Rosso and others
(Azlan, 2008). In Malaysia, the F1 race is held at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC).

Moto GP Racing Series

Moto GP racing series was founded in 1949 by the Federation International de Motocyclisme (FIM). The
commercial right of this event is held by Dorna Sports Company. The teams participating in this race are
endorsed by the International Road Racing Team Association (IRTA). The motorcycles to be used have to
be manufactured by a factory or company registered with the Motorcycle Sport Manufacturers Association
(MSMA). The motorcycles used for this race series are also motorcycles built specifically for racing and
cannot be used by the general public on roads. There are three categories in Moto GP racing series,
namely 125cc, 250cc, and the MOTO GP category which is 990cc.

Monsoon Cup

It is a yacht racing regatta also known as The Formula 1 of Sailing. In the monsoon season, local
fishermen are unable to go out to sea because of the strong currents, large waves and strong raging winds.
The event is actually still new. In the year 2000, a union was formed with the name Swedish Match Tour
and given the responsibility to manage and ensure that the Monsoon Cup tournament is run smoothly. This
union encompasses the entire regatta racing associations participating in the yacht tournaments around the
world and is managed under a union. The Monsoon Cup Malaysia is a prestigious match racing
competition, categorised as ‘Special Event’ by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF). The event is
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also the culmination of the Alpari World Match Racing Tour (AWMRT) series. It is the only Asian
destination in the AWMRT calendar for this season and offers a total cash prize of RM1,475,000.00. As
the final event of the Series, the Monsoon Cup is considered as one of the flagship stages of the World
Championship Tour and awards higher points to the participating teams. Points are awarded at each event
culminating in the crowning of the “ISAF Match Racing World Champion” at the Monsoon Cup. The
prize pool also includes a US$500,000 bonus fund for the top eight teams in the championship
(monsooncup.com.my, 2015).

Le Tour de Langkawi

This is a series of highway bike racing and it was held for the first time in 1996. This tour has received
recognition from the International Cycling Union (UCI) Asia Tour. The lucrative prizes and challenging
racing tracks attract the participation of many world champions. This tour also advances the name of
Langkawi as a popular tourism destination in the world. The cycling championship takes riders to all
corners of Peninsular Malaysia. Besides that, the series of cycling tours in this championship is broadcast
live by RTM 1 and ESPN Astro channel. In 1996 there were 12 stages of the race but this was reduced to
10 stages in 2002 at the request of UCI. Le Tour de Langkawi is now recognized as the most prestigious
cycling championship in Asia and the fourth most prestigious in the world after the Tour de France,
Vuelta d'Espania and Giro d'Italy. Le Tour de Langkawi is also part of a warm-up event for the
professional riders before continuing to race in Europe. According to the Malaysian National Cycling
Federation, each year an estimated number of more than 800 million television viewers and radio listeners
follow the progress of the Le Tour de Langkawi. This event has successfully promoted Langkawi Island in
particular and Malaysia in general as a popular sport tourism destination (Utusan Malaysia, 20 December
2008).

Langkawi Ironman Triathlon

The Langkawi Ironman Triathlon is an event that tests your fitness level and physical and mental strength.
This involves three types of disciplines namely swimming, cycling and running. The Langkawi Ironman
Triathlon was first held in the year 2000. This tournament is a compulsory event for professional triathlon
athletes as it offers points to determine the athletes eligible to compete in the World Ironman
Championships which is then held in Hawaii. The athletes taking part in this event are required to swim a
distance of 2.4 miles, cycle another 112 miles and run for the final 26.2 miles. In the year 2009 edition, a
total of 505 athletes participated in this event and it is expected to grow in the years to come. This sport is
a world-class sporting event with a line-up of strong contestants competing for the title as the champion in
extreme sports. Such similar events are held in 23 locations worldwide and when it was first held in
Langkawi it was jointly organised by Langkawi Ironman Endurance Limited. (LIEM), Kedah State
government, Kedah State Sports Council, Langkawi Development Authority (LADA), the Ministry of
Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Arts and Tourism (ironman malaysia.com.my, 2014).

Royal Langkawi International Regatta

This prestigious event was first held in the year 2003 and entered its seventh edition in 2009. This event is
organized by the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club with the Prime Minister Trophy as the prize in the main
category. There are also a few other categories in this competition, namely Premier Cruising, IRC,
Sportboat, Sportboat Platu, Multihull Racing and Club Cruising. This prestigious event has successfully
attracted well-known champions in yacht racing in the world such as Bruno Peyron. This event saw the
participation of 60 Asian and 10 European contestants. Among the contestants from the Asian countries
are those from Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, South Korea, China, Philippines and Australia. From the
European Continent participants came from Britain, Germany, Netherlands, France, Belgium and New
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Zealand. Pulau Langkawi is one of the popular venues for the development of sailboat races in the world
(langkawiregatta.com, 2014).

The potential and prospects of sports as tourism products in Malaysia

Every sporting event and sport championship that takes place has its own potential and prospect. The
sporting events that are organized involve several locations that are suitable for the impending event. The
same applies to tourists’ involvement in sport activities during their vacation. Most travellers have
determined their own plans for their holidays. For example, travellers who are interested in scuba diving
will choose the state of Sabah as the most appropriate location for their vacation. Similarly, tourists who
are keen on challenging sports activities, for instance mountain climbing, kayaking and cycling, are more
inclined to pick Tasik Kenyir as their holiday destination. There are many other interesting places which
also provide facilities for sporting activities which can be visited by the tourists and one of them is
Langkawi. Langkawi is not only well known as one of the most beautiful island in the world but is also a
popular location for sports vacation in Malaysia. Sport tourism is thus one of the latest strategy in
attracting both domestic and international tourists to a particular tourism destination. In addition, there are
also various international level tournaments which are seen as major attractions to tourists to visit
Malaysia. The travel agencies, local governments and the mass media have an important role to play in
promoting sport tourism products to attract domestic and international tourists to come to watch the on-
going sporting events, in addition to encouraging tourists to use the sports facilities at the holiday
destinations.
There are differences in the form of promotion and the length of time in organizing and planning sports
tournaments in order to attract incoming viewers to witness the on-going tournament. There are some also
special features in sport which make it a tourism attraction with a high impact on the national income.

The duration of the hosting

At the world-class level, three prestigious sporting events receive widespread attention from the
international media namely the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games and World Cup Soccer. The
three sporting events take place for quite a length of time and attract interest from all over the world. For
example, the Olympic Games in Beijing was held over 16 days with the opening ceremony on August 8,
2008 and the closing on 24 August 2008. A total of 10,000 athletes from 204 countries competed in the
Beijing Olympics. The Olympics tournament is held once every four years. As for the Commonwealth
Games, it is also organised once in every four years, involving elite athletes from the Commonwealth
countries only. A total of 5,000 athletes usually take part in the Commonwealth Games. The
Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) is the body that is responsible for the direction and management
of the Commonwealth Games. Similarly, the World Cup Soccer Tournament (FIFA), which is held once
in every four years, involves teams from across the continents. This is the most prestigious tournament
and has become the focus of the world's population regardless of the level of the society. It takes place
over a duration of 31 days. Additionally, in Asia there is also a sporting event that draws athletes from the
Asian continent only. The Asian Games Championship is a multi-sports event that is held once in every
four years among Asian athletes. In Malaysia there are, in particular, several popular sporting events such
as the Malaysian Games (SUKMA), Malaysian Schools Sports Council (MSSM), University Sports
Council (MASUM) and Sports Staff University (SUKUM). For example, the Malaysian Games is held
once in every two years, with all the states in Malaysia participating.
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Early preparation before the tournament

Before a sports tournament is held in each state or country, the host will carry out specific preparations in
terms of preparing the sports facilities, accommodation for athletes, stadium maintenance, logistics and
many other tasks. Well maintained and adequate infrastructure facilities are essential to ensure that every
event is run flawlessly. Moreover, each host country also has to enlist the services of sports volunteers to
assist in the upcoming tournament. The officers and management committee are also given training and
special courses. Additionally briefings on the tournament are held for officers of the teams taking part in
the sporting event. The committees that have important roles in organizing the sports event are the
Technical Committee and the Competition Committee. All these preparations accounted for the success in
organizing the 98th Commonwealth Games which opened the eyes of many parties to the fact that
Malaysia is capable of organizing international level sports. Most of the countries which participated in
SUKOM 98 were very satisfied with the quality of the organization shown by Malaysia. In order to
organize an international level sports competition, all the factors need to be considered and rigorous
preparation must be done initially so that the tournament will not experience any problem. The
competition committee should examine and investigate all aspects of management to ensure that every
event runs smoothly and systematically. Failure to carry out proper preparation will degrade the reputation
of the host country and decrease the confidence in organizing other tournaments in the future.

Media coverage

In the organization of sports events, the print and electronic media are the key pillars in the promotion of
the tournament to be held. The mass media plays a role in carrying out advertising and promotion before
the tournament begins; the coverage during the tournament itself and the analyses of the event after the
tournament ends. The electronic media such as the internet is the most influential medium in providing
information about a particular sports tournament such as reporting on the latest medal ranking,
information on the competing teams, sponsorship of advertising products, tournament schedules and
continuous coverage in the host country. The information related to sporting events can be accessed via
websites, blogs and government websites such as Tourism Malaysia, Ministry of Youth and Sports and the
official website of the on-going tournament. The importance and effectiveness of the internet as a
commercial channel in the context of providing information to the tourists have been constantly discussed
in previous studies (Bonn et al., 1999). The website has become an important communication for the
tourists and effective distribution channel for tourism operators and related service providers (Law et al.,
2004).

Sponsorship

Every sports competition, without exception, requires sponsorship and promotion through advertisements
to raise funds and attract incoming spectators to watch the competition. There are a number of official
sponsors such as media broadcasting, fitness drinks, telecommunication companies and others. Moreover,
the primary sponsors are both the government and organizations that are directly involved in the success
of a sporting event to be held. The support from sponsors is very important to help the host provide
facilities such as accommodation, food and beverages, clothing and sports equipment that are to be used
by the participants. The sponsoring companies derive mutual benefits from the advertisements endorsing
their products. In addition, major benefits are acquired by the tournament organizers hosting the
championship. For example, the organization of prestigious sporting events, for instance the Formula One
championship (F1), secures a lot of sponsorship from leading car companies such as Mercedes Benz,
Ferrari, Renault, BMW, Lotus and others. There are also beverage companies which have become the
official sponsors of a particular championship namely Red Bull, 100 PLUS, Coca-Cola, and Revive. In the
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broadcasting domain, it is a tradition for ASTRO, RTM and TV3 to be the official sponsors for the
television channel covering the live broadcast of a sporting tournament in progress.

Individuals involved

Inherently, in organizing a sporting event, the athletes, team managers, coaches, team officials and
spectators have to be considered. For each on-going tournament, the athletes are the most prominent
individuals involved in the events. Huge sporting events such as the Olympics, Commonwealth Games
and the World Cup Soccer undoubtedly involve a large number of competitors. The total number of
athletes or players, team officials, coaches and team managers are estimated to exceed thousands of
people. Besides that, the spectators at the on-going tournament venues exceed tens of thousands of people.
The involvement of all the parties at each competition venue can be classified as sport tourists. Next, the
profits earned by the host country augment the country’s total income. Sports is a tourism product that
provides the largest contribution to the local economy as well as stimulate the growth of national
economy. Besides that, the infrastructure facilities, such as in communication, accommodation, and
telecommunication, are also improved. According to Kurtzman and Zauhar (2003), in order to organize a
sporting event, specific facilities may have to be built and the existing facilities upgraded. The economic
aspect is usually to maximize the benefits in the short-term and to sustain long-term value. The facilities
that have been developed will remain and become the main attraction to those visiting the tourism
destination. Local communities also benefit from promoting local products such as food, handicrafts and
community cultures in a particular location.

Conclusion

Organizing international level sporting events undoubtedly brings many positive impacts on the host
country. The investments made are for the long-term such as the building of infrastructural facilities,
improvements in the transportation system, upgrading the quality of services from the public and private
sectors, the opportunity to market their products and the name of the country and finally very valuable
promotion through the international media. However, it must be stressed that any event has to be planned
carefully and that all factors and eventualities taken into account because only systematic and quality
management are capable of yielding the desired results and profits. Small management mistakes can cause
a sporting event which should have brought great returns to become a total loss and a catastrophe. The
popularity of a sporting event such as the Olympic Games, World Cup Football, and Formula One Racing
Series (F1) which are capable of attracting a large number of visitors attests to the fact that sport tourism is
a 'gold mine' if it is properly managed.

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