Applying a Promotional Mix In Promoting Bujang Valley: A Perspective From Tourists

Archaeological tourism received minimal attention from the Malaysian government although many archaeological sites in Malaysia have the potential to attract tourists. The number of tourists to these sites is still not promising. Hence, this study aimed to explore the tourist's perspective on how to promote Bujang Valley as an archaeological destination to stay competitive with other archaeological sites in the region to attract more tourists. 20 visitors were approached through convenience sampling for a semi-structured interview. Each interview session took approximately 30 minutes. Consent was obtained from each visitor before the interview was conducted. The findings showed that the promotion of Bujang Valley is inadequate. Publicity, advertising, and personal selling were among the suggested ways to promote the destination. Also, informants suggested promoting Bujang Valley through ambassador and World Heritage Site status. The research findings were expected to provide suggestions to the federal and local government, travel, and tourism practitioners in marketing communication efforts to attract more local and international tourists. Promotional efforts can be costly, strategic plan on the expenses is necessary to ensure the allocated budget for the promotional efforts is spent optimally to reach the varied audience and create awareness about archaeological sites among different target segment.