Over the past 15 years, more than 80 Thai communities have worked to develop community based tourism (CBT). CBT gives guests opportunities to experience Thai life, culture and nature through fun, hands-on activities lead by community guides and local host families. CBT initiatives are designed to support Thai communities by developing community members' knowledge and skills, generating income for local families, funding social and environmental projects, catalyzing community cooperation and celebrating local culture.
As the potential of tourism to contribute towards sustainable development is increasingly recognized in Thailand, ASEAN and globally, it is an ideal time to review the direction, successes and challenges of community based tourism in Thailand, so that lessons learned can benefit communities, development practitioners and the tourism industry.
The CBT Forum 2010 will review lessons learned by local Thai communities operating CBT, thesocial workers and academics supporting CBT, and selected responsible tour operators marketing CBT, who now have almost 2 decades of experience working to put CBT into action. Understanding how and why CBT has succeeded or struggled will assist Thai tourism industry stakeholders, and development and conservation professionals to ensure that CBT creates the most benefits and the least negative impacts for Thailand's communities, cultures and environments. It will also help to ensure that CBT experiences are marketable and enjoyable for community hosts and for the guests who they welcome to share local life.
Furthermore, if CBT is to be taken seriously as a development tool, information and evidence which can be referenced and used to replicate best practice are essential. One of the Thailand Research Fund (TRF)'s goals in supporting this conference is to present clear, credible information, which shows how and how far CBT is contributing towards sustainable development. The conference team are pleased to share this knowledge, and to learn from all organizations committed to harnessing tourism for the benefit of local communities and the environment, in Thailand, ASEAN and beyond.
The conference will share best practice case studies, illustrating the contribution which CBT is making towards sustainable development in Thailand. Cases have been carefully selected by an expert research team with different backgrounds (e.g. development workers, economists, tourism experts), who have visited each of the CBT communities showcased in the conference. They have worked with community members to collect first hand, credible data which illustrates how CBT is supporting sustainable development, and identifies important challenges for the next decade. They have helped the communities in the preparation of a professional case study.
The CBT-I team hope that these case studies will give participants new insights into how CBT can be harnessed as a tool for skills development, sustainable resource management, and the recovery and preservation of local cultures; while also ensuring the best possible experiences for community hosts and their guests. We hope it leads to replication of knowledge and new directions for sustainable tourism which benefits local communities, their partners and the guests who they welcome to share local life.
During the CBT Forum, selected best practices of CBT in neighboring ASEAN countries (Laos, Cambodia, etc.) will be presented by special guest speakers.
Objectives
- To strengthen the concepts, processes and impacts of CBT on social and local community development through the process of a rigorous academic review;
- To identify best practice cases, synthesize CBT best practice in Thailand and neighboring countries, propose successful models and communicate these to practitioners, stakeholders and the public in Thailand and internationally;
- Create a learning network between communities, academics and government agencies who are interested in CBT and play a role in CBT development;
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