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Due to the growing environmental awareness among tourists, especially youth travellers, it is necessary to provide an accurate evaluation of Malaysia’s image as a sustainable destination by its key tourist-generating markets, such as China. The Chinese market was the third-largest source of inbound tourists to Malaysia in 2019 (pre-COVID-19 pandemic) and had fallen to sixth place in 2022 (Tourism Malaysia, 2023), but is expected to make a significant rebound in the coming years. The primary aim of this study is to evaluate the perceived sustainable destination image of Malaysia among Chinese youth travellers and its influence on destination competitiveness and their travel intention.

Respondents for the study were selected from students at six undergraduate universities in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province, China, using a convenience sampling method. Undergraduate students were selected as the target respondents because they meet the demographic profile of youth travellers, i.e. travellers between 15-29 years old (UNWTO, 2016). The research instrument used for this study was a self-administered questionnaire consisting mainly of closed-ended questions using a five-point Likert scale ranging from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree”. All the questions in the survey were adapted from previous studies – out of the seven items belonging to sustainable destination image, four were adapted from Thi Khanh & Phong (2020), and three were adapted from Mercadé Melé et al. (2020); the eight items related to destination competitiveness were adapted from Wong (2018); and lastly, the three items on visit intention were adapted from Chaulagain et al. (2019). The questions were first developed in English and were later translated into Chinese using the back-translation method.

Results from a regression analysis show that a sustainable destination image positively influences destination competitiveness, lending support to findings from previous studies that a sustainable destination image is crucial for a destination's competitiveness and that a sustainable image can significantly impact a destination's attractiveness and long-term success (Cucculelli & Goffi, 2015; Nadalipour, 2019; Pulido-Fernández & López-Sánchez, 2016). In addition to that, a sustainable destination image was found to have a direct positive impact on travel intention, while destination competitiveness also directly influenced travel intention. These findings are in line with existing literature, which posits that contemporary travellers, especially youth travellers, are increasingly concerned about environmental and social issues (Holden, 2016; Mercadé Melé et al., 2020; Han et al., 2019).

This study can be considered a pioneering study to evaluate how a sustainable destination image of Malaysia can affect its overall competitiveness and visit intention of its leading inbound market (China). Findings from this study will show that sustainability practices can influence both the cognitive evaluation of what travellers know about Malaysia and the affective response of how travellers feel about Malaysia. Sustainable practices contribute to a positive cognitive evaluation, as travellers may recognise Malaysia as a country that is both environmentally conscious and culturally respectful.

A major practical implication of this study is the potential application of its findings by tourism industry practitioners, policymakers, and destination management organisations (DMOs) to integrate sustainable practices into their overall destination management strategies. For example, practical recommendations for sustainable infrastructure development may include investing in greener accommodation facilities, transportation options, and waste management systems, and these recommendations can contribute to a more positive destination image and greater destination competitiveness.

In addition, findings from this study can benefit society at large by fostering a more responsible approach to tourism, ensuring long-term environmental health and socio-economic stability. The resulting increase in tourist arrivals can boost the local economy, create more jobs, and generate revenue for tourism-dependent communities. Consequently, this study encourages the tourism sector to rethink its priorities by emphasising long-term sustainability over short-term gains, and this paradigm shift can inspire industry-wide behavioural changes that align with global sustainability goals.

Dr Philip P.W. Wong
School of Hospitality and Service Management
Email: @email