Ecotourism in the National Parks of Southern Thailand
Author: Wiwik Mahdayani
Year of Publication: 2013
In Thailand, a national park is a major nature-based tourism attraction dedicated to ecotourism. The fast growing development of national parks for tourism activities has created economic dependency on the part of the local people and the private sector involved in tourism. As a protected area, a national park encounters challenges in various forms: the irresponsible behavior of visitors, inadequate awareness of ecotourism goals of the private sector, and limited community participation. Few publications have set out to promote awareness and community-based service for ecotourism in the national parks, particularly among international visitors. Within this context, the project was carried out with the overall objective of communicating awareness and promoting ecotourism in Thailand’s National Parks through publication. Based on the assessment conducted under the project that focused on selected national parks in Southern Thailand, this paper provides a brief overview of ecotourism activities in three national parks: Hat Noppharat Tara-Mu Koh Phi Phi, Khao Sok, and Khao Luang. The assessment reflects the community involvement to support ecotourism should be encouraged and promoted, and the private sector and park visitors need educational resources to increase their awareness of ecotourism goals. Their commitment to support ecotourism and promote responsible behavior is important to ensure the sustainability of ecotourism in the national parks.
Keywords: Ecotourism, community involvement, private sector collaboration, sustainability in the national parks.
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