Myths and legends as Malaysian tourism products: A case study of Lenggong Valley

Certain places have their own legends and myths. Some are exciting and continue to prevail while others are already forgotten. Those attractive elements of myths and legends, if properly packaged are capable of enhancing the competiveness of a tourist destination. This article discusses the appropriateness of developing elements of local myths and legends as cultural tourism products using the Lenggong Valley, a UNESCO world heritage site as a case study. The valley has several myths and legends which are capable of becoming tourist attractions.Using secondary and primary data obtained through observation and a structured field interview, the myths and legends in Lenggong Valley were identified and analysed including the story of Princess Cave, Rock Princess @ Batu Gajah and the origin of the Lenggong name . These myths and legends together with the four myths of the aboriginal people of Lanoh may be packaged into tourism products in Lenggong Valley. Steps to develop the elements of myth and legend in the valley may include the preservation of artifacts, and the immediate documention and animation of the myths and legends as tourist attractions.