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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present the concept of 2u2i – two years attachment with university and two years attachment with industry – a new learning mode introduced by the Ministry of Education as a strategy to enhance the employability of university undergraduate degree students in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach The new mode of undergraduate degree program requires the university and industry to collaborate on the design of the curriculum and development of student training programs. Based on a series of qualitative discussions, the paper draws on the perspectives of university administrators and selected practitioners from the hospitality and tourism industry who are interested in developing 2u2i curriculum and working together to enhance the overall employability of university graduates. The paper explains the issues and challenges in implementing the 2u2i program at a local public university as a case study in Malaysia. Findings The 2u2i program provides a significant opportunity for industry to collaborate with the university in enhancing competencies and relevant skills among degree graduates so that they are able to excel in the workplace. Some of the issues and challenges involve bureaucratic procedures, time constraints in developing the program with industry, delay in approval procedures of the program and extra costs highlighted in managing the program with industry. Despite several challenges relating to the implementation of the program, it is important for industry to collaborate with universities in designing relevant curriculum to augment the employability skills of university graduates in Malaysia. Originality/value This paper explores different strategies for engaging with industry practitioners so that they are able to work closely with the university in crafting academic curricula in the hospitality and tourism field. This is important because it enhances university graduate employability via a relevant curriculum based on input from the industry.

Community-Based Tourism (CBT) is an approach to tourism presumed to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs), especially involved on SDG1-No Poverty and SDG11-Sustainable Cities and Communities. In rural communities, homestays are essential CBT component that have made many contributions to the local economy and quality of life. The Malaysia Homestay Programme (MHP) has received special attention from the government due to its potential to enhance local communities’ livelihoods and economic sustainability. This study assesses factors that measure the successful performance of communitybased tourism on the MHP. Homestay programmes are a form of community tourism, in which the host (operator) provides family-friendly stay facilities for rent to tourists, thus generating additional income for the family. Based on the previous studies, the homestay operators faced the following external challenges such as village landscape, inefficient networking, lack of cooperation and commitment from homestay operators, exploitation of external parties, as well as ineffective promotional and marketing activities. These challenges must be resolved effectively to sustain the MHPs forward momentum. Essentially, the experiences of hosts (homestay operators) in dealing with the above mentioned challenges should be sought and empirically documented for future policy-making activities by the development agencies and the society. The national economy is bound to progress with escalating arrivals of tourists if effective strategies are devised by the stakeholders in resolving the problems faced by the homestay operators. Prior studies have listed the critical factors that dictated the success or failure of CBT programmes from the stance of CBT managers and experts. Nonetheless, insights from the local community pertaining to the success of CBT have been largely ignored despite their significance. A case study approach was adopted in this research paper with a qualitative methodology. Data was collected from 17 key informants in 11 MHPs. A structured and in-depth interview was the primary data collection technique, used together with photos, note-taking, and sound recordings. From the interview analysis, 12 criteria were identified as most of the respondents had mentioned those criteria as success factors for MHPs. The findings also revealed 7 very important dimensions for MHP to receive high numbers of visitors which are: effective marketing and promotional strategies, maintained facilities and utilities, uniqueness and quality products/packages design, community engagement and support, collaboration and networking, leadership, and recognition, as well as previous awards. The new dimensions on homestay development identified in this study are recognition and previous awards, entrepreneurship and uniqueness of product and package design. The study outcomes signify that most of the respondents claimed that the MHP success is dictated by the quantity of tourists. This is because; the volume of tourists generates additional income to those involved in the MHP. However, there are other dimensions that should be weighed in by homestay operators to ensure that their homestays can succeed and survive for a longer period and can be contribute to SDG1 and SDG11.

This study aims to examine the development of rural tourism by applying the Appreciative Inquiry (AI) approach as a research tool. AI is an increasingly important field as it can offer a positive and strength-based approach to the development of rural communities. It can be seen as an alternative tourism research tool for community development in relation to rural tourism. A qualitative research approach is implemented by holding focus group discussions with the local community and youth groups at the Sungai Sedim Natural Forest (SSNF) in Kedah, Malaysia. SSNF was chosen as the research location because of its future characteristics and contributions to several residents. From the study result, natural resources, eco-tourism products, Tree Top Walk and historical assets have been identified as an important strength in SSNF. Furthermore, it is believed that the expansion of this product, would enhance the branding and image of SSNF as the best eco-tourism tourist attraction in Malaysia.