Bukit Maras, one of the recreational areas in Terengganu enJoys a steady influx of hikers and recreational visitors yearly with an adequate development in terms of facility. Nevertheless, there is no clear indicator to measure the sustainab ility of ecotourism on the economic improvement of the locals. Thus, this study was conducted to assess the impact of tourist, specifically on one of the primary beneficiary of tourism activity which are the local vendors. Questionnaire was developed for two categories of respondents, the visitors and local vendors regarding several elements of Bukit Maras tourism as well as visitors spending habits and vendor's income. The data obtained were then analysed using the proximity matrix analysis and visualised as heat map. A very positive response regarding tourism of Bukit Maras were recorded for both visitors and vendors. However, most visitors (79%) spend less than RM50 on site. Additionally, several elements evaluated by the visitors such as the facilities, environment and vendors' behavior have been ide ntified to have a positive correlation with an improvement in the vendor's income. This indicates that although positive ratings ha ve been given by the visitors on Bukit Maras, it does not affect both the expenditure of visitors and income of the vendors. Thus, there is need for improvement in the current management of Bukit Maras eco-tourism; focusing on the sustainable income of the local vendor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]