The International Seminar on Regional Politics, Administration and Development 2020 (INSORPAD2020), STISIPOL Raja Haji, Riau, INDONESIA, 14-15 October 2020 RP016 Issues and Challenges of Tourism Development in the Sik District: An Early Exploration Zeety Kartini Abdul Hamida, Norzaliza Haji Ghazalib, Nurul Imtiaz Abd Ganic, Nurazwani Zakariad, a,b,c,d School of Languages, Civilisation and Philosophy Corresponding author e-mail
[email protected] Abstract The district of Sik is the biggest in Kedah State, measuring 1,635,457.65 hectares or 1,635 square kilometres with its pristine flora and fauna. This district is also being made as an agro-tourism area by the Kedah State Government. However, the effectiveness of tourism development in Sik has not reached its optimum level. This article is focusing on the level of exploration and involvement (Butler, 1980) of tourism development in Sik. The research method involved fieldwork and interviews. The samples of this study are Sri Lovely Organic Farm, Pesisir Sungai Sik, and Ulu Muda Eco Park. The findings show the community involvement level is still low. Hence, this issue needs to be taken care of by all so that it can be beneficial to the local community. Keywords: Sik, tourism development, exploration, and involvement. 1. INTRODUCTION The Kedah Darul Aman State Government is on its way to achieving its goal to be ‘Kedah Maju’ and is planning a few development strategies. Among the main focus is in the field of tourism. As an agricultural state, agriculture-based tourism has great potential for development. Sustainable tourism packages with the preservation of the environment and culture of the local community can be complementary to rural development.