THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE LUCKY: THREE RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES USED IN CLIMATE CHANGE STUDY

Abstract

Tourism industry is one of the major growing industries in Malaysia. Sabah, a state in Malaysia, recorded a total of 941,765 international tourists and 1,933,996 local tourists in 2012. Malaysia, just like other countries, is affected by climate change and this, in turn, could affect the travelling decisions made by the tourists. Indicators of climate change such as temperature, geographical location and rainfall are some of the major potential threats to travelling and places of attractions. Research methods used in previous studies include survey, simulation, statistical model, empirical evidence, interview and focus group. This study employed three methods, content analysis, Delphi technique and survey through questionnaires to gain a better understanding on climate change, tourists’ perception on climate change and the impact on their decision making. By using these three methods, this study attempts to identify the dimensions of climate change, to examine the link between these dimensions and perception, and the impact of climate change on tourists’ decision to visit Sabah.