Ecotourism SMTEs Opportunities in Northern Thailand: A Solution to Community Development and Resource Conservation

Abstract

SMEs have become a core component of Thailand's economic development strategies, including tourism initiatives. Small and Medium Tourism Enterprises (SMTEs), with an emphasis on ecotourism and community-based tourism, play a vital role in rural and regional transformation, as these places change from primary to tertiary-industry-based economies. In northern Thailand in particular, a growing number of indigenous communities have been turning to ecotourism as an alternative to expanding their commercial agriculture. However, while tourism has become an important source for generating economic benefits of foreign exchange income, employment, government revenues, private sector growth and infrastructure development, the tourism product in most destinations has begun to deteriorate both culturally and environmentally. It also caused conflict of interests among stakeholders, as over 70 per cent of revenues are in the hands of private entrepreneurs. This begs the question of how to operate tourism that can really be a sustainable solution to the development of initiatives in the region. With a view to answering this question, this paper presents the perceived impacts of ecotourism on host destinations in northern Thailand and identifies how to implement ecotourism successfully by combining the philosophy of ecotourism with the commercial presence of SMTEs in a destination.

Resident Perception of Conflict with Tourism Enterprise: An Investigation at A Mountainous Destination in Vietnam

“…Those studies suggested that when local people realize the perceived benefits are less than the cost, they may have anti attitudes and behaviors toward tourism development as well as specific groups who are promoting tourism development in their locality. Sitikarn (2008), Timur & Getz (2008), McCool (2009 and Mannon & Glass-Coffin, (2019) have also confirmed that the downsides of tourism are important reasons for the conflicts at destinations. McCool (2009) mentioned that the conflict arises when local people realize that tourism development causes negative effects on their living environment, change cultural values.…”

“…Residents gathered around the business gate area to protest and boycott tourism businesses. Sitikarn (2008) also mentioned that more than 70% of revenue belongs to private entrepreneurs, which leads to frustration in community.…”

Sustainable community based tourism: impact, challenges and opportunities (the case of Huai Nam Guen Village, Chiang Rai Province, Thailand)

“…CBT is not only a tourism planned, developed, owned and managed by the community for the community but is seen as a new approach to stakeholder involvement and participation in tourism initiatives [26].…”

Factors of trans-boundary tourism sustainable development in dynamics of South-East Asia regionalization (the case of Thailand- Laos - China tourism cluster)

“…Traditionally, destinations are regarded as well-defined geographical areas, such as a country, an island or a town [3,4]. In addition, Sitikarn (2008) [5] purposes a model of sustainable Small Medium Tourism Enterprise (SMTEs) that emphasizes on various aspects of human resource development, finance, operation of tourism products and services, marketing and tourists 'demand.…”