This chapter focuses on beach users’ perceptions toward beach quality aspects and crowding as well as investigating beach users’ main preferred activities and their motivations to choose Cenang beach in Langkawi Island as a major destination for holidaymakers in Malaysia. Questionnaire surveys on a total of 400 local and international beach users were carried out (January and February 2014). This study revealed that physical and morphological aspects of the beach have been recognized by beach users as the most important aspects of beach quality while environmental issues were ranked as the less important. Swimming and sunbathing were identified as the main preferred activities by users and landscape, water and sand cleanliness were identified as the most important reasons for choosing Cenang beach to visit. This study also found that the increased beach’s sand availability does not necessarily reduce the degree of crowdedness felt by beach users.
Part of the book: Sea Level Rise and Coastal Infrastructure