Posted on September, 01 2007

Promoting community-backed tourism is one of the answers to protecting the local society, natural resources and environment. Such tourism allows the local community to manage and administer tourism activities as well as their natural resources and encourages participation from all parties. Furthermore, this type of tourism is one that harmonizes natural resources and tourism management, which will lead to sustainable management of natural resources and the environment.
     
In order to assure that the tourism plan will be a result from true local efforts, it is crucial that education and understanding be promoted. The push for community involvement will assure that the plan embodies local natural traits while respecting the unique native culture, and keeping in mind the local natural resources. Furthermore, the local community will appoint management standards and be responsible for developing the tourism plan. Such methods will assure the sustainable conservation of the natural resources.

Under these principles, WWF Thailand was able to provide the necessary education and set community tourism standards with 3 coastal communities, namely Bahn Koh Nok., Bahn Na Rai and Bahn Din Daeng, Tai Maung sub-district, Phang Nga province, in which ten members from each community participated. The 3 main procedures were:

STEP 1 : On July 4-6, 2007, the tourism potential of the site through participatory efforts from the community as well as the potential for ecotourism was evaluated. Numerous community sites were evaluated, taken into account state of natural resources, culture, community lifestyles and socioeconomics.

STEP 2 : On August 7-11, 2007, training on community tourism and management was provided as a means of education, better understanding, goal setting, and appropriate methods. The community tourism plan and program was also developed making sure the plan coincides with the ideals of tourism as well as concepts of sustainable conservation of the natural resources.

Following the second step, on August 30-31, 2007, community representatives whom participated in the workshop departed for a tour of Bahn Leelek community ecotourism. This community manages the local natural resources and tourism efforts simultaneously. The tour was organized in hopes to learn about management methods, as well as exchange experiences, so that such lessons can be adapted to fit the individual communities.

STEP 3 : To conclude, the community-backed tourism plan was developed with collaboration from public and private parties so that such a plan can lead to sustainable conservation of natural resources.

As a result of combining all 3 steps, participants received education as well as better understood the concepts and objectives of the community tourism plan; the direction of such a plan was also clarified. The participants were able to see the role a community tourism plan played in sustainable development and thus realized their capabilities in organizing and administering such activities by themselves and for themselves.