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Sustainable Urban Tourism Destination Management In Klong Khwang Community, Thailand
Description
With growing international interest in small community tourism, the task of maintaining
cultural and environmental integrity in fragile communities has never been more critical.
This integrity is often compromised by ill-planned and poorly managed development schemes.
 To address the need
for sustainable planning and management techniques, the Training and Technology Transfer
Program (TTTP) of the Canadian Universities Consortium Urban Environmental Management
Project at AIT is focusing on solutions-oriented demonstrations in sustainable tourism
destination management. One such demonstration is in the community of Klong Khwang, in
northeast Thailand. Identified by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) as a community
with great tourism potential, this community is preparing for a future based in part on
its tourism "products" (namely, community life, Thailand's oldest stone
reclining Buddha, an unexcavated archeological city, and others).
The TTTP is assisting Klong Khwang in its tourism development process at both local
government and community levels. Specifically, in an effort to strengthen the strategic
planning skills of local officials, the TTTP is encouraging the consideration of such
issues as carrying capacity, social and environmental impacts and marketing. At the
community level, promoting community participation in key TTTP project activities
reinforces members' roles as stakeholders in decision-making processes.
 To date, this
process has involved an interesting mix of dialogue and action, including a full-scale
experimental group tour. Further, at both government and community levels, the concept of
Klong Khwang forming part of a destination "circuit" with Khorat and Phimai has
been emphasized in the development options. As a tourism destination, Klong Khwang is
still in its formative stages. However, as this development moves forward, efforts are
being made to help the community achieve its tourism objectives without compromising the
principles of environmental sustainability, cultural integrity and community
participation.
The project will be completed by December 1999, with the results of the work
disseminated through publications and videos (CUC UEM Outreach Series), the World Bank
Urban Cultural Heritage Workshop in Chiang Mai (21 – 22 June 1999), and at the
Conference: "Sustainable Urban Tourism Destination Management: From Rhetoric to
Sustainable Urban Environmental Management Practices," to be held at AIT, 27 –
29 November 2000.
 Activities
- Production of situational analysis
- Community participation exercises
- Production of tourism products: postcards, community walking tour map, signage
- Assistance with the development of a Klong Khwang "Tourism Plan"
- Contribution to the Tourism stream of the Conference: "Sustainable Urban Tourism
- Destination Management: From Rhetoric to Sustainable Urban Environmental Management
Practices."
Partners
- Tourism Authority of Thailand
- Ninth Regional Office of Archaeology and National Museums
Publications
"Sustainable Urban Tourism Destination
Management: The Cases of Klong Khwang and Phimai, Thailand." Walter Jamieson and
Andrea Czarnecki. June 1999. (Click to read the full text)
Contact Information
Walter Jamieson (Project Leader), cucuem@ait.ac.th
© 1999, Canadian Universities Consortium
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