DIGITAL STORYTELLING AND CULTURAL HERITAGE IN SARAWAK DESTINATION

Authors

  • Qin Yi Lee Curtin University Malaysia
  • Andreas H. Zins MODUL University Vienna
  • Samuel Folorunso A Adeyinka-Ojo Curtin University Malaysia
  • Noraisikin Sabani Curtin University Malaysia
  • Anita Jimmie Curtin University Malaysia

Keywords:

tourist experiences; digital promotion; storylines.

Abstract

This study explores the potential of storytelling as a tool for promoting and preserving the rich cultural heritage of Sarawak, Malaysia. Despite its cultural wealth, Malaysia's heritage is underrepresented due to limited digital promotion. The research addresses this by developing a framework for creating compelling storylines that integrate cultural heritage with tourist experiences. The study employs case study qualitative research methods, identifying best practice examples of digital storytelling, evaluating digital cultural heritage portfolios in Sarawak, and identifying suitable local and regional traditions for tourism promotion. The research contributes to the theory and practice of destination marketing, providing guidelines for tourism marketers, web designers, IT professionals, and heritage administrators. It also offers insights to government and policymakers on the link between effective digital media use and tourist experiences. The study promotes sustainable tourism practices and encourages co-creation between tourists and destinations, making a significant contribution to both theoretical knowledge and practical applications within the realm of tourism marketing.

References

Åkerström, Lola A. n.d. “Lola A. Åkerström Spotlights a Cool New App Called Stockholm Sounds.” Slow Travel Stockholm. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://www.slowtravelstockholm.com/resources-practicalities/Stockholm-soundrome/.

Antoniou, Angeliki, Manolis Wallace, Martín López-Nores, Yannick Naudet, Antonis Bikakis, Catherine Jones, Joseph Padfield, and Evgenia Vassilakaki. 2018. “CrossCult: Empowering Reuse of Digital Cultural Heritage in Context-Aware Crosscuts of European History.” In . Nicosia, Cyprus: EUROMED. 332257833_CrossCult_Empowering_reuse_of_digital_cultural_heritage_in_context.

Bruner, Jerome S. 2002. “So Why Narrative?” In Making Stories: Law, Literature, Life, 89–107. MA: Harvard University Press.

Cahyani, Intan Putri, Puri Bestari Mardani, and Yuliani Widianingsih. 2023. “Digital Storytelling in Cultural Tourism: A Sustainable Communication Approach at the Lasem Heritage Foundation.” International Journal of Management, Entrepreneurship, Social Science and Humanities 6 (1): 45–69. https://doi.org/10.31098/ijmesh.v6i1.1348.

Chan, Chitat, and Melanie Sage. 2021. “A Narrative Review of Digital Storytelling for Social Work Practice.” Journal of Social Work Practice 35 (1): 63–77. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650533.2019.1692804.

Ch’ng, Eugene. 2011. “Digital Heritage Tourism: Reconfiguring the Visitor Experience in Heritage Sites, Museums and Architecture in the Era of Pervasive Computing.” In . https://www.researchgate.net/publication/256292371_Digital_Heritage_Tourism_Reconfiguring_the_Visitor_Experience_in_Heritage_Sites_Museums_and_Architecture_in_the_Era_of_Pervasive_Computing.

CORDIS. 2021. “Pluggable Social Platform for Heritage Awareness and Participation.” The Community Research and Development Information Service. 2021. https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id/413515-new-social-media-platform-ignites-passion-for-cultural-heritage.

Cunsolo Willox, Ashlee, Sherilee L Harper, and Victoria L Edge. 2013. “Storytelling in a Digital Age: Digital Storytelling as an Emerging Narrative Method for Preserving and Promoting Indigenous Oral Wisdom.” Qualitative Research 13 (2): 127–47. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468794112446105.

Frost, Warwick, Jennifer Frost, Paul Strickland, and Jennifer Smith Maguire. 2020. “Seeking a Competitive Advantage in Wine Tourism: Heritage and Storytelling at the Cellar-Door.” International Journal of Hospitality Management 87:102460. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102460.

Gnoth, Juergen. 2017. “Destinations and Value Co-Creation: Designing Experiences as Processes.” In , 125–38. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42773-7_8.

Handler-Miller, C. 2014. Digital Storytelling: A Creator’s Guide to Interactive Entertainment. Elsevier/Focal Press.

Hay, Nicole A., P. Monica Chien, and Lisa Ruhanen. 2022. “Tell Me Your Story: Branding Destinations through Residents’ (Place) Stories.” Journal of Vacation Marketing 28 (3): 319–34. https://doi.org/10.1177/13567667211060567.

Heath-Jones, Lauren. 2017. “Visitors Feel History in New VR Experience at Russia’s Hermitage Museum,” November 24, 2017. https://www.attractionsmanagement.com/index.cfm?pagetype=products&subject=product&codeID=335238.

Hong, JungHwa (Jenny), Jie Yang, Barbara Ross Wooldridge, and Anita D. Bhappu. 2022. “Sharing Consumers’ Brand Storytelling: Influence of Consumers’ Storytelling on Brand Attitude via Emotions and Cognitions.” Journal of Product & Brand Management 31 (2): 265–78. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-07-2019-2485.

Kao, Danny Tengti. 2019. “The Impact of Envy on Brand Preference: Brand Storytelling and Psychological Distance as Moderators.” Journal of Product & Brand Management 28 (4): 515–28. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-08-2018-2004.

Katsoni, Vicky, and Anna Fyta. 2021. “From Pausanias to Baedeker and Trip Advisor: Textual Proto-Tourism and the Engendering of Tourism Distribution Channels.” Turyzm/Tourism 31 (1): 11–19. https://doi.org/10.18778/0867-5856.31.1.11.

Korez-Vide, Romana. 2017. “Storytelling in Sustainable Tourism Management: Challenges and Opportunities for Slovenia.” Journal of Advanced Management Science, 380–86. https://doi.org/10.18178/joams.5.5.380-386.

Lund, Niels Frederik, Scott A. Cohen, and Caroline Scarles. 2018. “The Power of Social Media Storytelling in Destination Branding.” Journal of Destination Marketing & Management 8 (June):271–80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2017.05.003.

Moscardo, Gianna. 2018. “Tourist Experience Design: A Storytelling Framework.” Quality Services and Experiences in Hospitality and Tourism (Bridging Tourism Theory and Practice) 9:93–107. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2042-144320180000009007.

Noor, Shuhaida Md., Yugeetha Balan, Kamaliah Siarap, and Mastura Jaafar. 2019. “Embracing Heritage, Embracing Life: The Experience of Rurality from the Perspecti ve of Lenggong Valley World Heritage Site Community.” In Rural Tourism in Malaysia, edited by Mastura Jaafar, Azizan Marzuki, and Shardy Abdullah, 58–68. Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia. https://books.google.com.my/books?id=xgGoDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT100&lpg=PT100&dq=Embracing+heritage,+embracing+life:+the+experience+of+rurality+from+the+perspective+of+Lenggong+Valley+World+Heritage+Site+community.&source=bl&ots=qkFVFHbdf1&sig=ACfU3U1DCB5F1zGNQsfwB728yQp1UGME-Q&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjFrY710t6DAxV7TGwGHRZcBQQQ6AF6BAgpEAM#v=onepage&q&f=false.

Not, Elena, and Daniela Petrelli. 2019. “Empowering Cultural Heritage Professionals with Tools for Authoring and Deploying Personalised Visitor Experiences.” User Modeling and User-Adapted Interaction 29 (1): 67–120. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11257-019-09224-9.

Ohler, Jason. 2013. Digital Storytelling in the Classroom: New Media Pathways to Literacy, Learning, and Creativity. 2590 Conejo Spectrum, Thousand Oaks California 91320 United States: Corwin Press. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452277479.

Olsson, Anna Karin, Anette Therkelsen, and Lena Mossberg. 2016. “Making an Effort for Free – Volunteers’ Roles in Destination-Based Storytelling.” Current Issues in Tourism 19 (7): 659–79. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2013.784242.

Pachucki, Christoph, Reinhard Grohs, and Ursula Scholl-Grissemann. 2022. “No Story Without a Storyteller: The Impact of the Storyteller as a Narrative Element in Online Destination Marketing.” Journal of Travel Research 61 (8): 1703–18. https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875211046052.

Paolini, Paolo, and Nicoletta Di Blas. 2014. “Storytelling for Cultural Heritage.” In Innovative Technologies in Urban Mapping, edited by Antonella Contin, Paolo Paoloni, and Rossella Salerno, 33–45. Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2014. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-03798-1_4.

Pera, Rebecca. 2017. “Empowering the New Traveller: Storytelling as a Co-Creative Behaviour in Tourism.” Current Issues in Tourism 20 (4): 331–38. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2014.982520.

Pera, Rebecca, and Giampaolo Viglia. 2016. “Exploring How Video Digital Storytelling Builds Relationship Experiences.” Psychology & Marketing 33 (12): 1142–50. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.20951.

Pucciarelli, Francesca, and Chiara Giachino. 2019. “In Art Social Media Marketing: A Tool for Destination Marketing.” In Business Management Theories and Practices in a Dynamic Competitive Environment, edited by Demetris Vrontis, Yaakov Weber, and Evangelos Tsoukatos, 1792–94. EuroMed Press. https://emrbi.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/EuroMed-12-2019.pdf.

Rizvic, Selma, Vensada Okanovic, and Dusanka Boskovic. 2020. “Digital Storytelling.” In Visual Computing for Cultural Heritage, Springer Series on Cultural Computing, edited by Fotis Liarokapis, Athanasios Voulodimos, Nikolaos Doulamis, and Anastasios Doulamis, 347–67. Cham: Springer International Publishing AG. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-37191-3_18.

Robin, Bernard R. 2016. “The Power of Digital Storytelling to Support Teaching and Learning” 12 (30): 17–29. https://doi.org/10.1344/der.2016.30.17-29.

Sarawak Tourism Board. 2021. #SARAWAK360XPERIENCE | Stories From The Heart Season 1. Malaysia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6DB1aWWoJM&list=PLXIiv-w7uVqwThfISFW-jpXm7OafnoHya&index=1.

Schmier, Stephanie Anne. 2021. “Using Digital Storytelling as a Turn‐around Pedagogy.” Literacy 55 (3): 172–80. https://doi.org/10.1111/lit.12250.

Sedej, Tanja, and Sonja Mlaker Kač. 2022. “Influence of Explainer Videos in Marketing Communication for Tourism and Health Services.” In Contemporary Issues in Tourism, edited by Maja Borlinič Gačnik and Milica Rančić Demir, 243–56. University of Maribor Press. https://doi.org/10.18690/um.ft.6.2022.13.

Smeda, Najat, Eva Dakich, and Nalin Sharda. 2014. “The Effectiveness of Digital Storytelling in the Classrooms: A Comprehensive Study.” Smart Learning Environments 1 (1): 6. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-014-0006-3.

Sylaiou, Stella, and Panagiotis Dafiotis. 2020. “Storytelling in Virtual Museums: Engaging A Multitude of Voices.” In Visual Computing for Cultural Heritage, Springer Series on Cultural Computing, edited by Fotis Liarokapis, Athanasios Voulodimos, Nikolaos Doulamis, and Anastasios Doulamis, 369–88. Cham: Springer International Publishing AG. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-37191-3_19.

The State Hermitage Museum. 2017. “Hermitage VR. Immersion in History,” May 19, 2017. https://www.hermitagemuseum.org/wps/portal/hermitage/news/news-item/news/2017/news_109_17/?lng=.

Tourism 4.0. n.d. “Heritage in Action: Participatory Methods and Digital Learning Sources for Inclusion of Youth in Heritage Practices and Education.” Accessed January 14, 2024. https://tourism4-0.org/t4-0-projects/heritage-in-action/.

Tussyadiah, Iis P., and Daniel R. Fesenmaier. 2008. “Marketing Places Through First‐Person Stories—an Analysis of Pennsylvania Roadtripper Blog.” Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing 25 (3–4): 299–311. https://doi.org/10.1080/10548400802508358.

Tussyadiah, Iis P., Sangwon Park, and Daniel R. Fesenmaier. 2011. “Assessing the Effectiveness of Consumer Narratives for Destination Marketing.” Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research 35 (1): 64–78. https://doi.org/10.1177/1096348010384594.

UNESCO. 2021. “Concept of Digital Heritage.” United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. 2021. https://en.unesco.org/themes/information-preservation/digital-heritage/concept-digital-heritage.

UNESCO. n.d. “Malaysia: Properties Inscribed on the World Heritage List.” UNESCO World Heritage Centre 1992-2024. Accessed January 15, 2024. https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/my.

Youssef, Kamel Ben, Thomas Leicht, and Lidia Marongiu. 2019. “Storytelling in the Context of Destination Marketing: An Analysis of Conceptualisations and Impact Measurement.” Journal of Strategic Marketing 27 (8): 696–713. https://doi.org/10.1080/0965254X.2018.1464498.

Zhong, Yun Ying Susan, James Busser, and Seyhmus Baloglu. 2017. “A Model of Memorable Tourism Experience: The Effects on Satisfaction, Affective Commitment, and Storytelling.” Tourism Analysis 22 (2): 201–17. https://doi.org/10.3727/108354217X14888192562366.

Zins, Andreas H., and Adamu Abbas Adamu. 2023. “Heritage Storytelling in Destination Marketing: Cases from Malaysian States.” Journal of Heritage Tourism, July, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743873X.2023.2232476.

Downloads

Published

2024-07-05
Total Views: 19 | Total Downloads: 18