Understanding The Tourist's Perception of Sabah as A Safe and Secure Tourism Destination In Sabah

Abstract

Safety and security refer to the protection of tourists' lives, health, physical, psychological, and economic well-being. Sabah is one of the fastest developing tourist attractions in Malaysia, with both foreign and local visitors. Although the image of a location influences a traveller’s choice, there are various elements that impact a traveller’s decision regarding which destination to visit after a recent catastrophe. Therefore, this study empirically measures the travel experience of domestic tourists, the experience of travelling in the sea of Sabah, and the previous experience of tourists in Sabah. The data for the study was collected through a survey from 257 respondents, all of which were tourist. Data were analysed by descriptive analysis, frequency, and inferential analysis through SPSS version 26.0. The results of the Pearson correlation demonstrate a link between the travel experience of domestic tourists, the experience of traveling in the sea of Sabah, the previous experience of tourists, and tourist perception. The findings indicated that the experience of traveling had the greatest influence on tourists’ perception of Sabah as a safe and secure tourism destination in Sabah.