A MODEL FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN KWAN PHAYAO LAKE RIM COMMUNITIES, PHAYAO PROVINCE, UPPER NORTHERN THAILAND By Prakobsiri Pakdeepinit A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Program of Architectural Heritage Management and Tourism (International Program) Graduate School SILPAKORN UNIVERSITY 2007 A MODEL FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN KWAN PHAYAO LAKE RIM COMMUNITIES, PHAYAO PROVINCE, UPPER NORTHERN THAILAND By Prakobsiri Pakdeepinit A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Program of Architectural Heritage Management and Tourism (International Program) Graduate School SILPAKORN UNIVERSITY 2007 The Graduate School, Silpakorn University has approved and accredited the Thesis title of “A Model for Sustainable Tourism Development in Kwan Phayao Lake Rim Communities, Phayao Province, Upper Northern Thailand” submitted by Miss Prakobsiri Pakdeepinit as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Architectural Heritage Management and Tourism. ………………………………………………….. (Associate Professor Sirichai Chinatangkul, Ph.D.) Dean of Graduate School ………/ ……………………./…………. The Thesis Advisor Professor William R. Chapman, D.Phil. The Thesis Examination Committee …………………………………………… Chairman (Professor Emeritus Trungjai Buranasomphob, Ph.D.) ………/ ……………………./…………. …………………………………………… Member (Professor Anurak Panyanuwat, Ph.D.) ………/ ……………………./…………. …………………………………………… Member (Professor William R. Chapman, D.Phil.) ………/ ……………………./…………. b 46056958: MAJOR: ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE MANAGEMENT AND TOURISM KEY WORD: SUSTAINABLE TOURISM, COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION, MANAGEMENT, KWAN PHAYAO. PRAKOBSIRI PAKDEEPINIT: A MODEL FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN KWAN PHAYAO LAKE RIM COMMUNITIES, PHAYAO PROVINCE, UPPER NORTHERN THAILAND. THESIS ADVISOR: PROF. WILLIAM R. CHAPMAN, D.Phil. 270 pp. The objectives of this qualitative and quantitative research were to study the capacity for sustainable tourism development, to investigate the attitudes of tourists toward tourism activities, to identify and develop a model for sustainable tourism development with appropriate characteristics and components for the communities, and to recommend some sustainable tourism development plans to the Phayao Lake Rim communities. The population included 367 household heads, 86 key informants, 422 tourists, and five concerned state officials. The data collection methods were questionnaires, in-depth interviews, focus groups, and public forums. The study findings reveal that the communities had a capacity to develop sustainable tourism due to a diversity of natural and cultural attractions, easy access and security, but that amenities and more community participation should be developed and encouraged. Tourists visited the area for relaxation and required more tourism activities. Suitable tourism development plans should take the community’s and tourists’ needs into consideration with an emphasis on natural and environmental conservation. Characteristics of a sustainable tourism development are composed of public participation, local benefits, resource and environment-based conservation, sustainable tourism management, educative purposes, and facilitating tourist satisfaction. Components of a sustainable tourism development consist of community participation promotion, the activity route component for tourism development, sustainable tourism marketing development, service capacity development of local people in tourism, and tourism resource conservation. Five sustainable tourism development plans have been drawn up and recommended. They include a plan for promoting community participation in developing sustainable tourism, a plan for developing sustainable tourism activities and routes, a plan for developing sustainable tourism marketing, a plan for developing amenities in attraction sites, and a plan for sustainable tourism resources and environmental conservation. Program of Architectural Heritage Management and Tourism, Graduate School, Silpakorn University, Academic Year 2007 Student’s signature ……………………………………....... Thesis Advisor’s signature………………………………. c Table of Contents Page Abstract................................................................................................................... c Acknowledgments................................................................................................... d List of Figure........................................................................................................... h List of Table............................................................................................................ i Chapter 1 Introduction................................................................................................. 1 Statement and significance of the problem......................................... 1 Research questions.............................................................................. 3 Objectives ........................................................................................... 4 Scope of the study............................................................................... 4 Definition of terms.............................................................................. 6 Conceptual framework for the research.............................................. 7 2 Literature Review ....................................................................................... 8 Sustainable tourism............................................................................. 8 Cultural tourism .................................................................................. 13 Public participation ............................................................................. 15 Related researches studies................................................................... 21 3 Research Methodology ............................................................................... 31 Data sources........................................................................................ 31 Population, the sample group and key informants.............................. 32 Research instruments .......................................................................... 36 Data collection .................................................................................... 38 Data verification.................................................................................. 43 Data analysis and result interpretation................................................ 43 4 The Lakeside Community Context ............................................................. 46 Fundamental information of the lakeside communities...................... 46 General contexts of the area of investigation ..................................... 51 e Chapter Page Tourism resources............................................................................... 54 Access to the communities.................................................................. 94 Amenities in the attraction sites.......................................................... 95 Security in the tourist attractions ........................................................ 97 Tourism carrying capacity .................................................................. 98 Public participation ............................................................................ 98 5 Need of Tourists to visit Kwan Phayao Lake ............................................. 114 Characteristics of tourists.................................................................... 114 Travel experience and patterns ........................................................... 116 Factors influencing their decision-making to visit the Kwan Phayao Lake ............................................................................. 118 Attitudes toward tourism activities in the lakeside area ..................... 120 Their recommendations by tourists about tourism activities .............. 125 6 The Sustainable Tourism development Capacity ........................................ 129 Relationship between the communities and tourism .......................... 129 The impacts of tourism on the communities....................................... 130 Problems of sustainable tourism development ................................... 135 SWOT Analysis technique for analyzing the area’s capacity............. 137 Sustainable tourism development capacity of the lakeside communities........................................................................................ 143 7 A Model of Sustainable Tourism Development in Phayao Lake Rim Community .......................................................... 147 The result from preliminary study ...................................................... 147 The result from stakeholders’responses.............................................. 148 Characteristics of a model for sustainable tourism development in Kwan Phayao lake rim communities .............................................. 164 Components of a model for sustainable tourism development in Kwan Phayao lake rim communities .............................................. 168 Guidelines for sustainable tourism development plans for the Phayao Lake Rim Communities ........................................................ 187 f Chapter Page 8 Conclusion ................................................................................................. 226 Summary............................................................................................