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Ecotourism in Thailand

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Ecotourism in Thailand
Abstract
Sustainable tourism is significant for future generations. Without respect for natural wealth human can turn the Earth into great wasteland within one century. In this research, the paper will concentrate on ecotourism in case of Thailand and support it with conclusions from other cases, which are rainforest, Great Barrier Reef, and experience of Spain. While analyzing the case of Thailand, we tried to find out the scale of deforestation, poor waste management and degradation of coastal areas and also to find solutions for them.

Keywords: Ecotourism, Ecosystem, Coastal areas, Sustainable management Executive Summary
The paper is about how ecotourism is conducted in Thailand with a focus on the coastal area. As most qualitative research method case studies are chosen. To achieve the results, we gathered information from the departments, which are in charge of the coastal areas in Thailand, as well as from organizations, which are involved in the problems occurring on the areas. One important matter in the information we received is about how problems caused by exhaustive tourism are solved. Some are issued in the written measures, while some are the campaign to raise the people’s awareness. We analyzed whether the solution meets the ecotourism objective or not. The main objective of ecotourism is to maintain the social, economic and environmental balance in tourism. After reading this paper, one should have a better understanding about the sustainable management of tourism, focusing on the handling of environmental problems in the coastal areas of Thailand.
The paper is organized as following. In the introduction, the term of ecotourism is described. Furthermore, we formulate our research question. In the background part, we first present our research methodology, before we introduce some general cases how ecotourism is performed. As a core of the paper, our study deals with the main environmental problems on the coastal areas in Thailand in the



References: Cheevaporn, V. & Menasveta, P. (2003). Water Pollution and Habitat Degradation in the Gulf of Thailand. Marine Pollution Bulletin, [Online], 47, 43-51. Available: http://www.aseanenvironment.info/Abstract/43003535.pdf [2010-12-03]. Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (2009). ปัญหาการเปลี่ยนแปลงชายฝั่งทะเลและแนวทางการฟื้นฟูชายฝั่ง. [Electronic]. Available: http://km.dmcr.go.th/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=124&Itemid=36 [2010-11-27]. Department of Tourism (2010). Tourist Arrivals in Thailand. [Electronic]. Available: http://www.tourism.go.th/2010/th/statistic/tourism.php?cid=27 [2010-11-25]. Goodwin, H. (2007). No water, No Future. ICRT Occasional Paper [Online], No. 9. Available: http://www.icrtourism.org/documents/OP9merged.pdf [2010-12-01]. Gössling, S. & Hall, C. M. (2006). Tourism and global environmental change: ecological, social, economic and Political interrelationships. Routledge: New York. Mongabay (2010) Narasaiah, M. L. (2005). Water and Sustainable Tourism. Discovery Publishing House: New Delhi. Pollution Control Department (2010) Royal Forest Department (2009). นโยบายป่าไม้แห่งชาติ. [Electronic]. Available: http://www.forest.go.th/forestfarm1/farm/web/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=304&Itemid=413&lang=en [2010-11-26]. Save the Rainforest (2005). Causes of Rainforest Destruction. [Electronic]. Available: http://www.savetherainforest.org/savetherainforest_006.htm [20101-12-05]. The Nation (2007). Bid to Save Sea-Turtle Breeding Grounds. [Electronic]. Available: http://teakdoor.com/divers-tales/15469-phuket-bid-save-sea-turtle-breeding.html#post338489 [2010-12-03].

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