The Potential for Tourism in Post-crisis Recovery: Lessons from Malaysia's Experience of the Asian Financial Crisis

The impact of crises on a national economy can be severe and it is essential that recovery is rapid and complete. This article argues that tourism may be an ideal focus for the recovery effort, as it is resilient and has many links into other sectors. Based on data collected from interviews with senior policy makers in Malaysia, the performance of tourism in four key areas is explored in the context of the Malaysian response to the Asian financial crisis. It is concluded that on balance, tourism is worthy of special consideration as a vehicle for post-crisis recovery.