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ON COMMUNITY IN KLONG RUA VILLAGE
Introduction
I am writing this paper in order to look into the benefit of ecotourism that is part of the tourism businesses in Thailand that brings income to the country. According to Nyawa (2004), Thailand is a country that continues to develop tourism and successes in ecotourism management. In the last few years, almost all of the countries in the world were concerned about ecotourism which has been booming since 1992 Earth Summit(p.93). Ecotourism was talked about and has become influential. The government takes an interest in ecotourism further because it is a method to make tourism sustainable. I looked into my hometown Amphur Phato, Chumphon’s Klong Rua village is a community that organizes ecotourism successfully and assures that the management is balanced between the residents and nature. It is one of the most well-known ecotourism model villages for other communities. Good management of ecotourism is the best way to build awareness of natural conservation to the local people and tourists to preserve the real nature without having to control by laws. I have had many chances to visit Klong Rua village and know the way of life there very well. There are many activities to experience during my home-stays like trekking, bamboo rafting, watching sea mist, visiting waterfalls and fruit gardens. Furthermore, Chuneam (2005b) points out that ecotourism in Kong Rua village has some slight problems in community participation. The management process by local people is effective and it is accepted from the villagers. It can guarantee that the local community will have equity in participation in the projects and the activities in the village.
Thus, this paper discusses Ecotourism’s impact in Klong Rua village - both the negative and positive on its community and the role of the community in ecotourism.
What’s ecotourism?
Nyawa(2004) stated that the word “eco” is a prefix derived from Greek “oikos” meaning “house or dwelling place.” Eco is also an abbreviation of ecology or ecosystem.”(p.94). It relates traveling without exploiting natural areas with the specific objectives of studying, admiring and enjoying the natural beauty of nature, and the culture of these areas. Khanal and Babar (2007) claimed that ecotourism preserves natural resources in addition to keeping up the prosperity and social values of the local people. Rattanasuwongchai(1998) found that in the South American region of Costa Rica, ecotourism operator organized activities in assisting to save the surrounding rainforest, and thus emphasis was focused on conservation, implementation and action to benefit the environment(p.6). Cunningham (as cited in Nyawa,2004) and Mader (n.d.) supposed that definition of ecotourism can be narrowed down to a special form of ecotourism that meet three criteria:
I. Conservation practices. The activities should conserve both community and natural
resources.
resources.
II. Community participation. The communities should give some roles to communities
joining the process of development.
joining the process of development.
III. Profit to sustain itself. The profit from the ecotourism should be distributed in
communities equally.
communities equally.
The definition of ecotourism adopted by Goeldner & Ritchie(2009),"Ecotourism is ecologically sustainable tourism with a primary focus on experiencing natural areas that fosters environmental and cultural understanding, appreciation and conservation"(p.484). From the definition, it is a fact that people tend to adapt their own definitions to suit their interests or their areas of appreciation.
The Impacts of ecotourism
The local people not only have positive impacts but also negative impacts on ecotourism activities such as environmental impact, economic impact, and cultural impact.
Environmental impact: According to Rattanasuwongchai (1998), a large number of tourists made a trip to Thailand and over explored natural resources around 7.2 million and caused a heavy impact on the environment in 1997 (p.6). Khanal and Babar(2007) found that the environment impact has an effect on depletion natural resources, pollution soil erosion and the natural habit loss(p.7). Some activities have caused environment pollution such as trekking and building new residences that have the resulted to spoil local landscape. As the positive impact on the environment the villagers can build a network of awareness of the environment for the people without controlling by laws. As the same positive impact in Klong Rua, Chuneam(2005a) claimed that most activities have no negative effect, because the members have set up the community rules to protect the forest , build the network of forest conservation , and many tourism activities are created and helped to inspect forest area.The locals take ownership.
Economic impact: Chaiyakhot (2004) reported that the advantage of economic impacts that ecotourism creates additional careers in the community. And the income from activities is distributed to the villages. Ruttanasuwongchai(1998) stated that ecotourism brings the villagers new employment and the transformation into modern industry. In some areas all of the income goes to the owner. Food and facilities for the tourists are not produced in the village so the expenses of this is extravagant. In Kong Rua village the villagers have adjusted their homes to be the home stay for tourists. Food and the facilities were found in the community that simply added to the lifestyle and the economy.
Socio-cultural impact: Chaiyakhot (2004) argued that tradition and culture of the village are publicized and create the education network in the community to be learning center. As the journal studied by Chuneamreported that after the ecotourism help to develop community, a primary school in the village was organized for the children effectively. The villagers will have more control to manage and improve their own village. When too many tourists came, an imbalance of the natural habitat occurred and a new culture will replace the original village culture and its traditional lifestyle(2005b). For instance, a high building was built to replace a traditional house and the coconut cultivation in Samui island has decreased in recent year. In Klong Rua village ecotourism management still makes it stronger in socio-cultural because the awareness of nature conservation was fostered in their minds. This makes the community think highly of their own village.
Role of community
Role of the private sector: Thongma(2010)said that in the past the ground showed that the local people were not given any role a planning process or implementation of tourism activities management ( p 31.), but after the Amazing Thailand Year campaign(1998-1999 and extended to 2000)the National Ecotourism Policy was formulated by the Thailand of Scientific and Technological Research(TISTR) to encourage the communities and gives them to participate in many activities of ecotourism (Khanal and Babar,2007, p.5).
As said by Chaiyakhot(2004), the continental law was written the right of the people that give more chance for communities to take part in preservation in Article 46 stated that:
As said by Chaiyakhot(2004), the continental law was written the right of the people that give more chance for communities to take part in preservation in Article 46 stated that:
“Person so assembling as to be a traditional community shall have the right to conserve or restore their custom, local knowledge, art or good culture of their community and the nation and participate in the management, maintenance, preservation and exploitation of natural resource and the environment in the balanced fashion and persistently as provided by law ” (p.100).
This is the starting point to encourage the private sector and the community to manage their resources . For example, Klong Rua village created a group called “Tree Bank” and built a community network with other nearby communities. The villagers have meetings on the fifteenth of each month to discuss any problems or concerns about the natural resources and share their ideas at the community hall.
Social role of community : The community should open themselves and find out more knowledge, so the social role is the next important role for the community such as exchanging information with another communities, discussion with a scholar or learned man in the village, and network building. Chaiyakhot(2004) said that the network is effective and now it is the model for another village to manage the activities in ecotourism village because it’s combined with communities participation and conservation(p.104).
Conclusion
Role of community should be included in the plans in order to be guidelines in practicing for Thailand and ecotourism communities.
Role of community should be included in the plans in order to be guidelines in practicing for Thailand and ecotourism communities.
| Thailand needs to continue improving ecotourism potential with a special focus on participation of local people and public sector management. In management Khanal and Babar believes that the government should accept the right of local people and listen in their view to participate in planning process, decision making and management. However if the ecotourism is not managed properly, it may turn ecotourism in to mass tourism. By the way, when managed strategically, ecotourism has the potential for employment and economic benefit for the local people. And Thailand will be one of the most important ecotourism destinations by 2018 (2007). In our continually growing tourism industry and the emerging phenomenon of ecotourism, exciting new areas of vast potential are waiting to be explored. In the future if Thailand designs national tourism plans, ecotourism , impacts and |
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References
Chaiyakhot, P. (2004). Role of the Community in Eco- tourism Management in Thailand.
In M. Bradford & E. Lee (Ed.), Tourism and Cultural Heritage in Southeast Asia. (pp. 93-98). Bangkok, Thailand: Amarin Printing and Publishing.
In M. Bradford & E. Lee (Ed.), Tourism and Cultural Heritage in Southeast Asia. (pp. 93-98). Bangkok, Thailand: Amarin Printing and Publishing.
Chuneam, P. (2005a). The Knowledge and Building Network Conservation of Phato Watershed Conservation and Management Unit . Retrieved December 11, 2011, from http://www.phatotonnam.com/
Chuneam, P. (2005b). Community Base Ecotourism Management Case study: Kon Yu Pa Yung community Amphur Phato , Chumphon Province . Retrieved December 11, 2011, from http://www.phatotonnam.com/
Goeldner, C. R., & Ritchie, J. B. (2009). Tourism and the Environment. In Tourism :
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Mader , R. (n.d.). EXPLORING ECOTOURISM. planeta.com. Retrieved November 22, 2011, from http://www.planeta.com/ecotravel/tour/definitions.html
Nyawa, S., B. (2004). Eco-tourism: Definition, Implementation and Impact. In M. Bradford & E. Lee (Ed.), Tourism and Cultural Heritage in Southeast Asia. (pp. 93-98). Bangkok, Thailand: Amarin Printing and Publishing.
Rattanasuwongchai, N. (1998). Rural Tourism-The Impact on Rural Communities II. Thailand. 5-14.
Thongma, W. (2010). International Journal of Asian Tourism Management. Impac of Tourism Business Management in Chubwin Community, Tumbon Maewin, Amphur Maewang, Changmai, Thailand, 1(1), 30-37. Retrieved from http://www.file.mju.ac.th/files/
document_2010720577_44023153.pdf
document_2010720577_44023153.pdf
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