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Ecotourism and Biopiracy: A Legal Perspective on the Sustainability of Tourism Destination in Malaysia

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Balancing Development and Sustainability in Tourism Destinations

Abstract

Malaysia has the potential to become one of the top destinations for ecotourism, because it is one of the world’s 12 mega diversity hotspots. Ecotourism is a growing niche market within the larger travel industry, with the potential of being an important sustainable development tools. However, without proper regulatory control, ecotourism may facilitate biopiracy. The issue of ecotourism and biopiracy has been the subject of major debates. Biopiracy, if not properly remedied, is detrimental to the interest of Malaysia over its genetic resources and traditional knowledge. The main purpose of this study is to examine the various legal issues pertaining to ecotourism and biopiracy in connection with sustainability of tourism destination in Malaysia, looking in particular at the roles played by the international and national laws.

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Correspondence to Norha Abu Hanifah .

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Abu Hanifah, N., Webb, A.B. (2017). Ecotourism and Biopiracy: A Legal Perspective on the Sustainability of Tourism Destination in Malaysia. In: Saufi, A., Andilolo, I., Othman, N., Lew, A. (eds) Balancing Development and Sustainability in Tourism Destinations. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-1718-6_2

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