Although tourism in tropical forests can generate funds for conservation, it can also have adverse effects on nature conservation. For example, the construction of roads and trails for tourism may facilitate invasion by alien species. To understand the effect of tourism-related road and trail construction on invasive species, we compared the abundance of an invasive shrub, Clidemia hirta (Melastomataceae), between the forest interior and road or trail edges and then identified environmental factors affecting its abundance in Endau Rompin National Park, Johor, Malaysia. C. hirta was found along the road and trail with density ranging from 0.0 m⁻² to 33 m⁻², but was not found in the forest interior. Generalized linear mixed models suggested that canopy openness and soil pH negatively affected the density of C. hirta along the road, as did total soil nitrogen along the nature trail. This suggests that C. hirta was more abundant along dark and nutrient-poor road and trail edges. The construction of narrow roads (2.0–3.8 m) and trails (0.5–2.0 m wide) at our site would be considered a relatively minor disturbance without intensive clear cuts, and C. hirta seemed to prefer habitats with such minor disturbances. The development and management of tourism in tropical rainforests should include consideration of the effects such minor disturbances have on invasive species.