Empowering Farmer and Mango Agrotourism Manager Communities in Perlis,Malaysia through Digital Marketing and Cultural Storytelling for Destination Sustainability

Abstract

Perlis, Malaysia, holds significant potential for mango agrotourism, yet destination promotion has remained largely conventional and has not yet leveraged a well-planned digital marketing strategy. This international community service activity aimed to enhance the capacity of farmer groups and mango agrotourism managers in Perlis to apply digital marketing and cultural storytelling in support of sustainable tourism destination development. The program was carried out through a collaboration between Panca Budi Development University (UNPAB), Indonesia, and Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Polytechnic (PTSS), Malaysia, using a Participatory Action approach involving 30 participants (local mango farmers, agrotourism managers, and local youth aspiring to become digital content managers). Implementation stages included needs identification, digital marketing training, cultural storytelling training, and mentoring for practical application, evaluated through pre-test/post-test measurements, practical observation, and participant satisfaction questionnaires. Evaluation results showed significant improvement across all measured indicators, with the largest gains in the ability to create cultural narratives and manage social media (each rising 50 percentage points, from 25–30% to 75–80%). Participant satisfaction with the program was also high, with average scores above 4.4 on a 5-point scale. The activity further resulted in the initial formation of a small destination digital-media management team as a sustainability measure, and contributed to SDGs 8, 11, and 17. The program demonstrates that integrating digital technology with the strengthening of local cultural values is an effective strategy for community empowerment based on local potential, supporting the development of sustainable agrotourism.