Major Determinants of Intra-regional Tourism Demand for Malaysia: a Study.

The present paper begins with a literature review focusing on the importance of tourism in Malaysia, drawing particular attention to the explanations for the popularity of intra-regional tourism and its implications. After that, a model to measure the intra-regional demand for tourism is proposed. This model has the major determinants of intra-regional tourism demand as its independent variables. The model is empirically tested and the final segment of the paper presents the results of empirical verification. Also discussed are the implications of the study: the study is especially important for practitioners since a comprehensive knowledge of intra-regional tourism demand will greatly aid in destination positioning and target marketing. Given the unique socio-political, cultural, and economic dimensions of intra-regional tourism, public policy makers should also gain benefits from this study.