Measuring the Conservation Aptitude of Surf Beaches in Phuket, Thailand: An Application of the Surf Resource Sustainability Index

Abstract

The research seeks to measure the conservation aptitude of nine surf beaches in Phuket, Thailand by employing the Surf Resource Sustainability Index, an assessment methodology comprising 27 social, economic, environmental and governance indicators used to frame and quantify attributes for conservation development. The research identifies and documents key areas of concern for the sustainability of the island's coastal surfing resources and distinguishes steps forward to address emergent issues. The study finds that by improving the awareness, legislative status and management of surfing sites, the overall conservation aptitude for the island could be raised considerably. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Investigating the Importance of Surf Resource Sustainability Indicators: Stakeholder Perspectives for Surf Tourism Planning and Development

“…Case studies were carried out in Phuket, Thailand (Martin, 2013a(Martin, , 2013bMartin & Assenov, 2012b, 2013a, 2013c. The trials found that considerable time and experience is required to attach quantitative values to qualitative attributes, yet the process served to catalogue and measure sustainability factors with two significant implications.…”

“…To address these concerns and the protection and management of coastal surfing resources, the SRSI was developed. The SRSI provides a framework of sustainability indicators used in the assessment of a surf site's aptitude for conservation management based on the premise that the sustainability and conservation of resources can be fostered through a metric-orientated planning and development methodology (Martin & Assenov, 2012b, 2013a, 2013c. As a modular approach to surf site field assessment, SRSI provides a set of building blocks which include qualitative and quantitative metrics.…”

“…Surf sites increasingly face concerns over the protection and sustainable management of limited resources and habitat, particularly the socioeconomic and environmental impacts and increased interests by surfers, tourists, and other stakeholders of the coastal zone (Buckley, 2002a(Buckley, , 2002bButt, 2010;Farmer & Short, 2007;FFLA, 2010;Lazarow, Miller, & Blackwell, 2007, 2008Martin, 2013aMartin, , 2013bMartin & Assenov, 2011, 2012a, 2013a, 2013b, 2013cMead, 2009;Nelsen, Pendleton, & Vaughn, 2007;Ponting 2009a;Ponting, McDonald, & Wearing, 2005;Ryan, 2007;Scarfe, Healy, Rennie, & Mead, 2009a, 2009bShort & Farmer, 2012;Shuman & Hodgeson, 2009;Tourism New South Wales, 2009;Wearing & Ponting, 2009). In order to create a concise and global model for the improved assessment and sustainable management of coastal surfing resources and surf tourism, a system of 27 social, economic, environmental, and governance indicators was developed by Assenov (2012b, 2013a).…”

Sourcing Thai geography literature for ASEAN and international education

“…Key areas of Thai tourism research include ecotourism, agrotourism, community-based tourism (CBT), the sustainability of coastal resources, and the impacts of tourism on people, place and economy. For example, recent studies on Phuket's surf tourism industry examine coastal resources through a geographic lens (Martin, 2010(Martin, a, b, c, 2013Martin & Assenov, 2015;Martin & Ritchie, 2018b). Travel guides aimed at the public often refer to physical features and human characteristics of Thai geography and are therefore relevant to the field.…”

Paisaje, patrimonio y turismo de surf: factores de atracción y motivación en el Parque Natural del Estrecho, España

“…Dicha revisión, que se ha visto apoyada también por otros análisis bibliográficos existentes a nivel internacional (Martin y Assenov, 2011y 2012Scarfe, Healy y Rennie, 2009a), arroja también un escaso conocimiento, tanto a nivel teórico como de estudios de casos, sobre las cuestiones abordadas en este trabajo, particularmente en lo referido a los hábitos y motivaciones de los surfistas y los factores de mayor atracción de los destinos de práctica, pese a su importancia por las acciones de marketing y planificación de los agentes turísticos y organizaciones que promueven el turismo de surf (Barbieri y Sotomayor, 2013). Y lo mismo ocurre con otras tan importantes como el análisis y valoración de los condicionamientos e implicaciones territoriales de las prácticas turístico-deportivas surfistas, pese a resultar fundamentales para estudiar sus perspectivas de sostenibilidad.…”