A stakeholder approach for sustainable community-based rural tourism development in Thailand.

Abstract

This chapter explores the approach of tourist destination governance with a focus on community-based tourism in Thailand. Through five case studies, the chapter explores a number of factors in the failure and success of community-based tourism development, and the importance of an integrated stakeholder approach in achieving potential success. These cases are then used to set forth guidelines for governance in countries with similar circumstances. While acknowledging the many challenges that Thailand has faced due to natural and political crises, the examples provide a constructive context for understanding the approaches and successes (as well as constraints) for rural- and community-based tourist destination development. After analysing and generalizing the cases, lessons learned are put forward regarding governance approaches, with particular emphasis on stakeholder involvement in creating more sustainable community-based rural destinations. These include the strengthening of local communities and their structures, effective decision-making processes, mechanisms for functional rural tourism communities, building collaborative networks, providing a mechanism for understanding both community and visitor needs fully, developing and monitoring benchmarking approaches and the provision of rural tourism product positioning, along with strategic sustainable planning including action plans, implementation and review. The chapter concludes by acknowledging the diversity of governance approaches and capacity building, as well as the balance needed between more universal solutions in addition to appreciation of the knowledge and local wisdom in rural tourist destinations.

Governance and local participation in ecotourism: community-level ecotourism stakeholders in Chiang Rai province, Thailand

“…Rural areas of Thailand are noted for the remarkable growth and significance of tourism, in general (Choibamroong et al, 2011), and ecotourism, in particular. As a geographical research case, the province of Chiang Rai in northern Thailand is a key international ecotourism area with a range of tourism development stages and community characteristics to examine.…”

“…see Scheyvens, 1999;Tosun, 2000;Scheyvens, 2002;Roe et al, 2004;Cater, 2006;Fennell, 2008;) and within the specific context of Thailand (e.g. see Laverack & Thangphet, 2009;Choibamroong et al, 2011;Novelli & Tisch-Rottensteiner, 2012). However, there is a dearth of material that presents the views or responses of community members towards working in tourism, participating in decision-making and having a voice within the development process once a decision to participate in tourism has actively been taken.…”

Self-Reliance in Community-Based Rural Tourism: Observing Tourism Villages (Desa Wisata) in Sleman Regency, Indonesia

“…These phases Basically, values attract consumer demands. Suppliers follow it up by allocating adequate resources to add the consumer-desired values to their products or services [29]. In that sense, values added in CBRT hold significance for both tourism providers (suppliers) and tourists (consumers).…”