Sustainable Alternative Tourism: Homestay In Mea Kampong Village, Thailand

Date of Graduation

Fall 2003

Degree

Master of Science in Geospatial Sciences

Department

Geography, Geology, and Planning

Committee Chair

Dimitri Ioannides

Abstract

This thesis uses a survey-based analysis to examine the homestay program in Mea Kampong village, Chiangmai Thailand. As thousands of villages in Thailand have encouraged and fostered alternative tourism and must deal with unprecedented numbers of tourists, their residents experience changes in their normal lives. The lack of a tourism plan challenges those villages to handle the growth well while successfully incorporating the principles of sustainable development. A principal objective of this thesis is to analyze the ways in which alternative tourism and Miang (pickled tealeaves) production can benefit the village of Mea Kampong economically, culturally, and environmentally, as well as to include an alternative tourism plan that is suited to the village conditions. Results of this research prove that Mea Kampong is suitable to be an alternative tourism destination. The homestay program in Mea Kampong village appears to be an opportunity to create extra income as long as it follows a good tourism plan, focuses on extension of the tourism market by providing a good promotion strategy, and uses tourist number limitation strategies in order to prevent negative impacts. Additionally, the homestay program allows the hosts to continue harvesting tealeaves while participating in the homestay program to earn extra money. Homestay activities conform to the local life style, which stimulates local cultural preservation and environmental awareness in order to maintain the village's status as a tourist resource. Strong leadership was found to be a key force for convincing a community to consider alternative economic development. Furthermore, development in line with local desires creates a high level of local participation that can propel the community into sustainability.

Subject Categories

Regional Economics | Tourism

Copyright

© Nutravee Hokchun

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Dissertation/Thesis

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