An evaluation of tourist senses through architectural values in Johor Bahru

Abstract

It is difficult to address tourism without discussing architecture. Architecture is a tourism consumption asset and objective cultural resource. This study will examine the importance of architectural values that need to be preserved and travel plans that may have an impact on the Malaysian tourism industry. The architectural value can be seen in an aesthetic form, and the architectural value can be expressed in a physical form that is easily recognized by its environment. For example, landmark buildings can easily identify the city, while events recorded by historical buildings show cultural value and become the focus of local communities. For tourism to develop better, culture and nature are needed. Moreover, the linkages between architectural attractions with the experience of tourist visual senses would reveal the values towards sight senses through the architectural attractions. The purpose of this research is to gain insights on tourist visual sensory experiences of Architectural Values in urban area. This study used multi-method quantitative methods to identify tourists’ visual sensory experiences around the Johor Bahru city area. A questionnaire is designed using items and content analysis was used to identified architectural attractions through the previous literature reviews. In the survey, a total of 127 respondents took part. The study consisted five main outcomes: visualisation of visual sensory mapping presents the creation of ‘tourists spot’ through visual sensory experiences, the profiling of architectural values shows the ranking of each element, Heritage buildings have higher visual sensory experience values of appreciation relative to tourist satisfaction values, there are positive relationships in the overall tourist visual sensory experience, and negative and positive perceptions of architectural attractions based on tourist visual sensory experiences have been made by visitors. The findings should help tourism policy makers and practitioners solve the problem that Johor Bahru has to improve architectural destination area, so as to guide or develop tourist products while further enhancing its strength.