Opportunities and Challenges among SME Tourism in the Heritage Food Industry in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah: A pilot study

Heritage refers to the inheritance or legacy of past generations' physical artefacts, traditions, practices, beliefs, values, and stories. Heritage is not solely confined to historical monuments or artefacts but includes customs, languages, rituals, culinary traditions, craftsmanship, literature, and knowledge systems that contribute to the identity and continuity of a group or society. The heritage foods industry often serves as a magnet for tourists, offering a sensory and immersive experience. Culinary traditions and iconic dishes can become a significant draw for tourists, contributing to the local economy by promoting tourism. In addition, research based on small and medium entrepreneurs (SME) Tourism has increased since 2019. The increased research interest in SMEs in the tourism sector stems from their economic significance, dynamic nature within a changing industry landscape, and crucial role in providing diverse and authentic experiences to traveler’s while facing various challenges that require further exploration and understanding. However, the involvement of Tourism SMEs in the food heritage industry still needs to be improved. Mainly, tourism SMEs get involved in businesses such as handicrafts, travel agents, homestays, and tourism activities. Therefore, this paper wants to explore why SME tourism started their business in the heritage food industry and how they explain the challenges in the heritage food industry. A qualitative research design was proposed to investigate the matter, and a pilot study was initiated. This paper aims to understand opportunities in the heritage food industry and explore the challenges. Tourism Small and medium enterprises of food heritage producers are the informants to understand phenomena in their business for substantial years of operation. This paper presents a pilot study as an initiation for the first steps in research to explore the phenomenon. This pilot study was done to help the researchers get first-hand experience with the settings, phenomenon, and data collection to strengthen their confidence in executing the research project