|
|
 |
Sustainable Urban Tourism Destination Management In Phimai, Thailand
Description
The Training and Technology Transfer Program (TTTP) of the Canadian Universities
Consortium Urban Environmental Management Project at AIT and the Ninth Regional Office of
Archeology and National Museums are working cooperatively on sustainable urban tourism
destination management issues in Phimai, Thailand.
 With an Angkor-period temple, annual
festivals, historic Banyan tree, museum, restaurants and hotels, Phimai attracts thousands
of visitors annually. In an effort to improve Phimai's established position as a cultural
tourism destination, the Regional Office and the TTTP are focusing on specific project
objectives, including:
- improved interpretation and preservation strategies for the historical site
- enhanced commercial street experiences to support additional economic activity
- the development of museum options to increase visitation rates
- dealing with the problems of traffic circulation and congestion around the sanctuary
site
- finding suitable parking that does not have negative impacts on surrounding land uses
The nature of the issues in Phimai indicates that a concerted and united community
effort is required to achieve the tourism development objectives identified by the
regional office. While a full-fledged exercise in community participation involving all
interest groups is beyond the scope of the TTTP demonstration, it is the TTTP's objective
to assist in identifying feasible strategies to strengthen Phimai's economic and tourism
development and management. Through information sessions, perspectives of various key
locations in Phimai, and interpretive options using computer technology, the TTTP will
provide the Regional Office with a foundation for community dialogue and sustainable
development. Further, the notion of Phimai forming part of a destination
"circuit" with Khorat and Klong Khwang has been emphasized in the development
options.
 The project will be completed by early 2000,
with the results disseminated through publications and video (CUC UEM Outreach Series),
the World Bank Urban Cultural Heritage Workshop in Chiang Mai (21 – 22 June 1999),
and at the up-coming 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
- Seminars and research on the viability of the use of Virtual Reality in Phimai
- Production of perspectives and computer-aided images as tools for community
participation
- Development of Phimai Sanctuary and Museum options
- Contribution to the Tourism stream of the Conference: "Sustainable Urban Tourism
Destination Management: From Rhetoric to Sustainable Urban Environmental Management
Practices," 27 – 29 November 2000
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 here to read the full text)
Contact Information
Walter Jamieson (Project Leader), cucuem@ait.ac.th
© 1999, Canadian Universities Consortium
|
 |
