Sustainable Tourism in Thailand - Essay Example

Backpacking in Thailand: Sustainable Tourism Table of Contents Executive Summary 3 Introduction 4 Research Methods 5 Literature Review and Industry Analysis 5 Recent Developments in Sustainable Tourism via the Backpacker Phenomenon 6 Critical Issues of Sustainability Facing Backpacking Operators in Thailand 9 Improving Practices of Sustainability 11 Conclusion 12 References 14 Executive Summary Sustainable tourism aims to support the local economy of a region by directly assisting in the economic development of indigenous people, enhancing the culture of the area, and leaving as little an environmental footprint as possible. As such, it is important to conduct research into an operation that is doing just that. With this in mind, the following report aims one particular operation in Thailand that relates to a sustainable type of tourist endeavour. The reality is that there are certainly concern throughout Southeast Asia, in particular Thailand, that the recent growth in tourist related number is adversely impacting not only the local culture endemic to the land, but is also causing irreparable harm to the environment. As such, sustainable tourism activities, such as the one describe herein, are essential to the future of the country, in addition to the necessity of meeting the current needs of the people and land. The objective of this report is to highlight sustainable tourism operations in Thailand and to illustrate the critical need to further develop this endeavour in order to protect both the land and the environment of this Southeast Asian nation. This objective was primarily accomplished by researching currently literature related to sustainable tourism in Thailand, as well as conducting an in-depth analysis of the Thailand Tourism Authority of Thailand’s website. It was discovered that, while sustainable tourism is on the rise throughout the nation, there is still far too much reliance on international projects, which are creating harm to the land, the people, and the culture. In the future, more focus is needed in terms of developing tourist operations that are directly impacting the people of Thailand, while doing little to no harm to the environment in which they live. Backpacking in Thailand: Sustainable Tourism Introduction Throughout time, tourism has been in a constant state of change, and along with it has come a consistent need to look towards the future. For tourism to be sustainable, and for it to have a positive environmental effect for future generations, companies must look for ways to protect the lands in which they operate. The average tourist today has different expectations that have been evolving over the years. While the tourist industry has struggled at time to keep up with global demand, it has largely performed brilliantly across various sectors (Hamzah & Hampton, 2011). The flip side of this, however, has bough about grave environmental concerns that, left unaddressed, will completely alter the tourist landscape of the future. A recent development throughout the industry is the reality that travellers are choosing to travel internationally for longer periods of time. This has created a renewed focus on sustainable tourism as new generations of travellers are wanting to visit places in their original state and glory. To illustrate this point, it is helpful to examine the resurgence in sustainable tourism options operation throughout the region of the Southeast Asia. Specifically, let us consider the backpacking craze that has once again swept Thailand in recent years. The average backpacker today is a traveler that is more interested in the local culture and people of the countries that they choose to spend time in. They are not interested at all in massive resort structures that are degrading the environment and have long been considered the financial crux of the tourist industry itself (Allon, 2004). The backpacker of today contributes greatly to the sustainable of the industry, particularly in Thailand, as they tend to immerse themselves into community life, giving jobs back to local people as opposed to international corporations, and engage in a healthy cultural exchange the encourages others to follow suit. Research Methods Sustainable tourism aims to support the local economy of a region by directly assisting in the economic development of indigenous people, enhancing the culture of the area, and leaving as little an environmental footprint as possible. As such, it is important to conduct research into an operation that is doing just that. Various scholarly journals related to backpacking operations in Thailand were consulted in preparing this report, with a particular focus on areas that sustainable tourism was resulting from international tourists making a direct impact on the local culture. In addition, the Tourism Authority of Thailand was consulted via their website to determine the certification standards within the industry and how those operations are currently in compliance today. Literature Review and Industry Analysis Perhaps few regions of the world have an environment as conducive to, nor are more notorious than, the individuals nations comprising a collective southeast Asia. Due to its countries popularity and relatively developed strutter of sustainable tourism, Thailand has become the most well known of these nations for backpackers and is second only to Australia in terms of notoriety and numbers (Hamzah & Hampton, 2011). The Tourist Authority of Thailand largely supports sustainable tourism in Thailand throughout the world, and has focused many of its efforts in recent years to the backpacker. As such, they are the focus of this study, as they govern the industry as a whole and are the ones responsible for ensuring the sustainability of the region and the protection of national heritage and culture. Recent Developments in Sustainable Tourism via the Backpacker Phenomenon Thailand has been experiencing an influx of backpackers throughout various locates since the days of the Vietnam War. This truth is noticeable in nearly every section of the country, and the land and culture of Thailand has long appealed to many types of travellers. Many, to be sure, opt of the types of tourist adventures that are not sustainable, yet a growing number of backpackers are coming to the region to take part in an extended and eco-friendly experience that transcends generations. Throughout Thailand, backpackers can be seen frequently traveling throughout the hill tribe regions of the north, jetting to the major cities of Bangkok and Chiang Mai to participate in working holidays to further sustain their holiday, or continuing on to the southern portion of the country that is rich in jungle life and party like atmosphere (Muzaini, 2006). All of these activities combine to provide evidence of the ongoing backpacker phenomenon in Thailand, and how this industry is sparking a revitalisation in sustainable tourism throughout the region as a whole. It might be plausible to think of backpacking today in the same vein as it was decades ago. Current research into the discipline, however, reveals a completely different story. While the time was not along ago that young people were expected go from secondary school right into the university, or to launch their own career, that is no longer necessarily the case today. Whereas there was no time afforded to this particular demographic to get out and see the world, that option is now available today. The concept of a ‘gap’ year, by way of example, has recently been introduced into hospitality and tourism vocabulary to describe the idea of taking a year or two off, as a young person, to explore and broaden horizons before embarking on a career or educational path (Arnett, 2000). Some young people have opted to turn their adventures during this time into a working holiday, or to simply backpack a particular region of the world for an extended period of time. Backpackers truly desire to encounter and learn from different cultures, and experience different ways of life that they have never encountered before. This gives young people a unique perspective of life that was previously unavailable to them (Arnett, 2000). This new phenomenon, particularly in the context of Southeast Asian tourism, is certainly worthy of further study in order to determine the true impact of backpackers on the industry moving forward. There are positive market trends being demonstrated today in the backpacker segment of the tourism industry around the world. Some areas of the global are reporting record numbers of tourist arrival, and backpackers are making up an increasingly noticeable percentage of those visitors. It has been observed that more than 10% of travellers going through China, Southeast Asia, and Australia identify themselves as being either a backpacker or on a working holiday. Australia has actually reached the 25% mark in terms of international visitors staying in a hostel or guesthouse type accommodation on any given night (Allon, Anderson, & Bushell, 2008). This number has been increasing steadily over the course of the past generation, and Thailand is well positioned to capitalise. Research indicates that backpackers often travel for one month or more, and that they increasingly travel through urban areas well, no longer feeling confined to rural areas. Whereas in the past the tourist infrastructure was not in place in many major cities to accommodate the unique needs of backpackers, tourism operators are quickly embracing this demographic today. The countries of Malaysia, Thailand, and Australia are three notable examples of areas that have demonstrated an increase of 50% or more in terms of young backpackers who have decided to spend one or more weeks in the capital cities of Kuala Lampur, Bangkok, or Sydney. Current research also indicates that backpackers come from a broader range of nationalities than ever before. Historically, backpackers have been dominated by the British as being a cultural tradition for young travellers. This interest in backpacking, however, has now spread to other ethnic groups as well. There is a growing market for backpackers amongst many Europeans and Americans, and even Asians (while still certainly in the minority) are increasingly entering into the fold (Atejevic & Doorne, 2005). Research also reveals that there are four main types of backpackers. They are typically referred to as either working holiday makers, free and independent travellers, domestic backpackers, or students. Each of these various groups of travellers invokes a distinct target market that the tourism industry can approach and design marketing campaigns towards. They each require a slightly different approach and product offerings. Jarvis and Peel (2013) recently discovered that working holiday makers are becoming more mainstream and popular today, particularly when considering the number of young people struggling to find employment in their home countries during the recent global financial crisis. The free and independent traveler is another important demographic group. This segment of the hospitality and tourism industry has actually experience a period of noticeable growth in the past decade. Young people love the free and independent experience that is offered when they do not feel confined to a pre packed tour that predetermines their entire itinerary for them ahead of the time. The free and independent traveler option allows young people to travel with whom they want to explore the region at their own pace and on there own time. Because of the unique nature of this type of travel, it is typically the backpacker that is most often a free and independent traveler (Hampton, 2013). In recent years, many tourist operators have offered services to this type of traveler in numerous different ways, such as rail passes in Europe that affords the backpacker the opportunity to explore the continent on their own timetable and with simplicity. Southeast Asia has begun offering bicycling options that enable young people to cycle through various villages, staying with local people, all at their own pace once again (Howard, 2007). These are just two examples of how the backpacker phenomenon is impacting the local tourism industry in areas that are working hard to attract this valuable demographic group. Critical Issues of Sustainability Facing Backpacking Operators in Thailand Sustainable tourism is often viewed as responsible tourism and, as such, obviously depends on the level of the tourist to make it a success. There are concerns that sustainable tourism in Thailand is becoming difficult to achieve because of the environmental degradation that is occurring throughout the region at the hands of mega international resorts that are encroaching upon the local people, customs, and traditions. In addition, the impact of deforested land and even dwindling shore lines in exchange for progress is astounding. This is why hope has been found in backpackers and the renewed trend towards more cultural oriented holidays, as opposed to resort stays. Many have mistakingly view the backpacking life in Thailand from the perspective of visiting the southern island of Koh Pangan for of their monthly full moon parties. While these events are endorsed the very Thailand Tourism Authority that forms the focus of this study, and provides a continuous flow of income for local and indigenous people, it is not indicative of the rest of the backpacker industry throughout the region. In this case, the entire economy of the region now revolves around the monthly full moon party, largely promoted by word of mouth and reputation alone. Sadly, the event has more to do with a party type atmosphere than it does with Thai culture. As such, many fear that backpackers are actually pursuing a negative social impact on the culture of Thailand, which is exactly the opposite of what sustainable tourism aims to do. One Thai researcher in this area has actually made the claim that backpackers are causing the people of the South to lose their identity, and that this type of opportunity provides little opportunity for the Thai people to truly showcase their culture and way of life to the world (Piyaphanee, 2011). While these concerns are well founded and deserve consideration, the reality is that backpackers, and the operations that cater to them, are not traditional tourist activities, as they are truly designed for the sustainability of the industry and all of those involved. The country of Thailand has found a unique way to market their country as a non-traditional form of sustainable tourism that truly caters to the backpacker and related individuals. They have effectively mastered the art of merging the traditional resort hotel type tourist with the more non-traditional cultural holiday maker, such as the backpacker, in such a way that the two peacefully and harmoniously coexist within the same structure (Teo & Leong, 2006). Certification Standards The Thailand Tourism Authority governs all tourist related operations, including those catering to the backpacker and various other sustainable tourism practices. While Thailand is still a developing nation, its tourism industry is surprisingly developed, well maintained, and profitable. The certification standards in place, discussed on the TAT website, work to ensure that tourist operations are safe, sustainable, and beneficial to the local people and culture of Thailand. The homes endorsed for various home stay tourist activities throughout the country all receive certificates of operation and are regularly evaluated according to current industry standards. Improving Practices of Sustainability In fact, backpackers themselves take a sort of antagonistic approach to the more traditional tourist and tend to view their own desires and interests more in line with the local people, as opposed to taking advantage of the land for pleasures sake. Consider the reality that the local economy of Thailand today largely relies and is dependent upon the sustainable tourist, as they reach areas that the more traditional tourist has no desire to (Piayaphanee, 2011). An example of this is the reality that backpackers in Thailand are known to desire to participate in local home stays with indigenous people, away from the traditional glitz and glamour of big cities or resort type hotels. The average tourist does not deem these types of activities to be worth their while, opting to spend their vacation dollars in more traditional tourist type operations, often benefitting only wealthy Thai businesses or international corporate entities. On the other hand, backpackers truly desire to spent their holiday time with locals, often staying with a family for weeks or months at a time. This not only results in them gaining numerous cultural benefits from the activity, the money they spend goes directly to some of the poorest regions of the nation, bypassing the large corporate tourist structures. This type of tourism related endeavour is sustainable and benefits all parties involved. Conclusion Moving forward, hotel and guesthouse owners will want to focus any future expansion strategies around areas that backpackers are likely to frequent. Researchers have suggested, and even tourism agencies recommend, that such lodging venues consider the particular demographic that they are catering to. Since many traditional tourists try to avoid lodging options that are geared specifically for a younger backpacker type crowd, the logistics that go into planning a marketing strategy should be considered. In Thailand, for example, many hostels will openly advertise that their services are more oriented toward the backpacker and the long-term traveller on a budget. This not only clues this particular demographic group into the reality that the facility will be geared for them, and that the staff will understand their needs, but it also gives notice to other types of travellers that they would want to look elsewhere for accommodation if the young crowd does not appeal to them. This type of responsible tourism business practice is allowing all sectors of the tourist industry to peacefully coexist and grow, particularly in Thailand. In conclusion, youth tourism is sustainable tourism. Young people are adventurous by nature and they desire to explore the world around them. With ever-increasing options for budget travel, and increasing ground transportation possibilities, the world is more connected than ever. In addition, society is shifting its values away from a ‘money means everything mentality’ and moving towards a more altruistic view of society in general. Young people today are more willing to explore and accept other cultures than generations before them were. They are willing to survive on less if it means giving them the opportunity to live amongst people different than themselves and being able to share their life as well. Moving forward, the entire hospitality and tourism sector should no longer look at this segment of the tourist population as being meaningless in the scheme of the overall industry. On the contrary, they are providing an enormous economic impact on everyday people in local communities around the globe that have grown to not only depend on backpackers, but to respect and embrace their existence as well. References Allon, F. (2004). Backpacker heaven: The consumption and construction of tourist spaces and landscapes in Sydney. Space and Culture, 7(1), 49-63. 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