Integrating educational elements in recreational tourism development of the Melaka World Heritage Site: Approaches from tourism providers

Educational element is gaining its importance in the tourism product development especially at the World Heritage Site. This is especially siginificant to the world heritage site, including the Melaka World Heritage Site. This article aimed at exploring how the tourism providers of recreational sites/attractions seek to integrate the educational elements in providing the real experiences to the visitors. Taking an in-depth interview with five tourism providers, this study found that educational elements have been part of their offerings although some lack the real meaning of education in tourism. The five destinations provide educational experiences for selective segments – the school children, higher learning institutions and the tourist market in general. Educational elements are being integrated into general and specific tourism activities as well as conservation and environment education. However, lack of knowledgeable frontlines and talent workers are the challenges that they have to overcome. It is suggested that a benchmarking of educational elements to be implemented in the tourism product development in Malacca to ensure the aspiration of learning of World Heritage sites is achieved.