Houseboat services and its features as a tourist attraction in tasik kenyir, terengganu

Houseboats are one of the tourist attractions in Tasik Kenyir, Terengganu. Their unique services have not been documented much which prompted this study. The objectives of this study are (i) to identify the features of houseboats as tourist attractions in Tasik Kenyir, and (ii) to examine the characteristics of services offered by houseboat operators to tourists visiting the lake. The design of this study is exploratory and the approach used is qualitative through in-depth interviews supported by observation. Eight houseboat operators and workers were involved in the study as informants. The results showed that the features of houseboats are unique in that they have complete facilities like those found in a house. Among the facilities provided are a living room, bedrooms, kitchen area, toilet/bathroom, barbeque area, and provision of safety jackets. The services include the types of packages, rental price, booking mode, and duration of booking including houseboat services payment method. In summary, the fundamental study of houseboats as a tourist attraction in Tasik Kenyir is relevant for the purpose of documentation and as a reference to various parties such as tourism policymakers, houseboat operators and researchers.