ABSTRACT
The creative hub concept is gaining popularity globally as a tool within the creative economy to generate socio-economic and cultural values for societal and community development. Though the concept is nascent and the creative hub itself can be manifested in variegated forms, the notion is oftentimes linked to urban development particularly the way creative hubs are found to be subsumed and contribute towards the growth of creative industries en route the formation of a creative city. Against this backdrop, this paper aims to explore the creative hub concept and the way this global concept it is being understood, adopted and adapted locally amidst Malaysian local nuances. Based on secondary data sources, a systematic literature review was conducted to review global definitions, concepts, examples and illustrate how creative hubs are linked to creative city development and sustainable urban development. Literature review based on similar themes for the Malaysian context showed that the creative hub concept is also variegated, and each hub is shaped by the initiators, funding model and formation purpose of either commercial, social or culture and artistic. The paper concludes that reconceptualization of Malaysian creative hubs is timely and apt by taking into consideration also elements like location, culture-specificity and the influence of ICT as the creative hub concept, its form and operations morph and navigate in response to the current global COVID-19 pandemic. The implications that derive from this study will have conceptual, practical and policy implications when adopting and adapting the creative hub concept for the Malaysian context.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 outbreak in late 2019 has impacted all nations, societies, and industries globally due to the closure of international borders and strict travel restrictions. As one of the communitybased tourism activities that have been viewed as a tool to stimulate rural community development, the Malaysian homestay program is no exception. This paper aims to explore the COVID-19 impacts, to examine how the homestay operators strived to be resilient and to understand the sustainability strategies adopted by them in reviving the industry post-COVID-19. By using a resilience-based framework, in-depth interviews with 10 homestay operators, one (1) state tourism official, and three (3) Homestay Chairman of the local homestay tourism association were conducted. Findings revealed that COVID-19 has affected the homestay operators' livelihoods, where they experienced a total loss of incomes due to booking cancellations and the complete halt of tourist arrivals. Operators began to re-visit their business models and mapped out the `new norms of hospitality by leveraging technology and social media to promote their businesses online.' All these innovative strategies need to be undertaken collectively and therefore leadership and the formation of strong human resources proved to be the best solutions. Diversifying and venturing into other businesses as second income generation provides a safety net in sustaining their livelihoods. It is suggested that the creation of new business models and pragmatic community tourism policies will essentially determine the homestay program's chances of survival, particularly during crisis or disaster, by transforming it into a much more sustainable form.