The Educational-based tourism (Edutourism), was introduced in 2014 and is steadily gaining popularity in Malaysia as the nation is poised to become a hub for higher education for tertiary students across the globe (Malik, 2019). Reinforcing the Edutourism, School of Hospitality & Tourism has conducted a study trip to The Habitat Penang Hill on 11th September 2020. A total of 16 first year students had joined this trip as this visit is to encourage our students in familiarizing and learning more about the tourist attractions in Penang. Likewise, this will supplement the various theories acquired in the classroom for a simultaneous understanding and application.
Located on top of Penang Hill, The Habitat is among the most popular haunts for local nature lovers. The ecotourism attraction not only has world-class facilities and pockets of pristine rainforest that’s home to a wide range of flora and fauna, but it’s also committed to environmental conservation and education. We started our journey with the ride on Penang Hill Funicular Railway which also known as the steepest tunnel track in the world! As we arrived, our group were greeted by Mr Maha, the safety officer who had explained on the safety procedure that we should adhere while we are around The Habitat. Students were given the freedom to have self-guided walk around and we had visited all the famous attractions such as the nature trail which include attractions like the Giant Swings, Butterfly Banks, Fragrant Garden as well the famous Langur Way Canopy Walk and Curtis Crest Tree Top Walk!
It is undeniable that The Habitat Penang Hill provides the most authentic, diverse and educational Malaysian rainforest experience. We believe in empowering the young mind of today to make the world a better place tomorrow. This is a strong reason for pushing the idea of Edutourism program among our courses is in regards with a perspective of educating the world through experiential learning. Lastly, we hope that our visit will motivate the readiness of the students in endeavouring their future in this fun filled industry!
