Urban Development Pressure: Challenges in Ensuring Sustainable Tourism Development in Langkawi Island

Significant growth in tourism sector has created major challenges in planning and managing the environment and landscapes of tourism sites. This is due to the need to provide attractive tourism sites and supporting products such as accommodations and transportation networks as well as protecting the environment. This study used GIS to map and measure land use transformation from 1974 to 2005 and examine areas that are likely to experience urban development pressure. Zoning strategies such as by containing urban built-up areas within existing urban areas and promoting sustainable ecotourism development within Langkawi Geopark have succeeded in controlling expansion of built-up areas.