Tourism Policy in Malaysia: Towards Tourist Friendly Destination

Tourist-friendly destination is a destination where spaces, activities and products are able to give maximum satisfaction to tourists. It can be executed at all levels of destination, ranging from small premises, a region, and to a larger site at the national level of the country. This article aims to evaluate to what extent the tourism policy and strategies at the national level planned and implement a tourist-friendly destination. The study reveals that although tourist-friendly concept is not explicitly mentioned in the existing tourism policies and strategies, it has been implicitly implemented through an amalgamation of tourism activities, products and spaces. These components are being implemented at the state level as tourism develops. This article concludes that tourist friendly destination needs to be clearly conceptualized and implemented as it ensures all tourist segments, international and domestic, likes to experience the real Malaysian hospitality.