Governance and local participation in ecotourism: community-level ecotourism stakeholders in Chiang Rai province, Thailand

Abstract

This paper takes as its starting point the assertion that community-based ecotourism is an activity in which not all members of a community are able to be involved (through barriers or factors of exclusion) and/or wish to be involved (through personal choice). This has implications for discussions about community-level stakeholders, governance and tourism development. Firstly, the paper explores the actors' interactions as they relate to the use of resources and environment. Within this theme are seen more specific sets of social relations and sustainability elements. These elements highlight key factors, beginning with the actors, the resource uses, and continuing with the influence of different resource management regimes, of power and authority, of networks of social relations, of patterns of governance, and of internal and external relations that occur with actors both inside and outside the local villages. The geographical context is three villages in the northern Thai province of Chiang Rai, a key international ecotourism area. The study is underpinned by use of a range of qualitative methods and considers the views of 70 key informants. Participation in tourism by Thai villagers is argued to reflect both ability to be involved (centred on land ownership and its restriction of livelihood opportunities) and active choice of involvement (the extent to which tourism is individually considered as a potential livelihood option). Involvement in community based ecotourism in a traditional hierarchical society like Thailand appears to be linked to an individual's social standing or general position in society and to be far from a matter of free choice. Governance-in the sense of social order, social coordination, social practices (Bramwell and Lane, 2013)-is identified as having a key influence upon the ways in which participation in tourism occurs at a local level. Social status, legitimacy and power are highlighted as issues for further research in relation to further understanding the dynamics of community-based tourism development.

Peran Komitmen, Kompetensi, Dan Spiritualitas Dalam Pengelolaan Dana Desa

“…Peran pendam ping desa dalam penyelenggaraan pemerintahan desa sangatlah penting, terutama dalam hal penggalian, penampungan, dan penyaluran aspirasi masyarakat sebagai bentuk parti sipasi pembangunan lingkungan pedesaan serta meningkatkan kinerja dalam mewujud kan keberdayaan masyarakat. Pada akhir nya hal ini dapat menjadi tumpuan harapan masyarakat terhadap pemerintah, terutama programprogram yang diagendakan oleh pemerintah untuk mewujudkan kemandi rian serta kesejahteraan masyarakat desa serta pembangunan di desa yang berkelan jutan (Balázs & Hoffman, 2017;Palmer & Chuamuangphan, 2018;Wang & Li, 2018). Namun, permasalahan pada faktanya, kom petensi pendamping desa masih minim ter utama dalam hal membantu desa dalam pe ngelolaan dananya (Klick, 2016;Sun, Lin, & Chan, 2017;Suresh, 2017).…”

“Shrimp Watching” Ecotourism in Thailand: Toward Sustainable Management Policy

“…For instance, a case study from The Doi Tung Development Project in Thailand shows that when there is conflict of interest, it is difficult for locals to negotiate with authorities because they fear the authority's power (Theerapappisit, 2009). This cultural issue can be observed throughout Thailand and other developing countries such as Cambodia and Indonesia (Cole, 2006;Ellis and Sheridan, 2015;Palmer and Chuamuangphan, 2018). More discussions regarding implementation problems of top-down and bottom-up approach can be seen in Leksakundilok and Hirsch (2008) and Theerapappisit (2009).…”

The Enhancement of Cultural Tourism Routes in the Lanna Region of Northern Thailand

“…Bramwell and Lane (2013) have shown that the level of community participation is determined by social order, social coordination and social practices. In a hierarchical society like Thailand, participation in tourism management is restrictive and exclusive (Palmer & Chuamuangphan, 2018). For tourist routes to be a success there should be an equal opportunities approach to involvement in heritage site management.…”