Ecotourism Sustainability in Thailand: a formative evaluation of Andaman Discoveries
Abstract
Andaman Discoveries (AD) is a social enterprise based in Southern Thailand that aims
to “support community-led development by acting as a bridge to respectful visitors
and volunteers through sponsorship of education, conservation, and cultural empowerment.”
AD facilitates community-based ecotourism that aims to balance social, economic, and
environmental needs, while not acting invasively. AD asked me to explore “how sustainable
do local community members find AD’s programs?” and “how can AD ensure and improve
program sustainability?” I conducted a formative evaluation to find what has been
done well, and what needs improvement. Results show that locals believe AD’s programs
improve social, environmental, and economic outcomes, with minimal detrimental impact.
Some communities experienced tourism related conflict, but most find tourism’s community
building effect far stronger. Primary recommendations include continuing community
development and conservation projects consistently; ensuring AD staff attend community
meetings regularly; and utilizing codes of conduct to ensure continued visitor respectfulness.
Type
Master's projectPermalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/8542Citation
Flam, Anna (2014). Ecotourism Sustainability in Thailand: a formative evaluation of Andaman Discoveries.
Master's project, Duke University. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/8542.Collections
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