Author: Phetvilay Panyada
AIT Library Call Number: AIT Thesis no.RD-14-09
Year: 2014
Academic Program: Regional and Rural Development Planning (RRDP)
Type: Thesis (M. Sc.) – Asian Institute of Technology, 2014
Examination Committee: Soparth Pongquan (Chairperson); Jayant Kumar Routray, Mokbul Morshed Ahmad (Examination Committee Members)
Abstract: This research deals with Community-based Ecotourism (CBET) in Phou Khao Khouy National Protected Area. The objectives of this research were to examine people’s awareness on rules and regulations of CBET, their participation and satisfaction, to evaluate social and environmental benefits gained from CBET focusing on environmental practices, knowledge on protected area and skill enhancement on ecotourism, to assess economic benefits from CBET focusing on occupation, employment and income, and torecommend the implementation of CBET to increase more benefits to local people. Ban Na CBET, located in Thapabath district in Borikhamxay province, Lao PDR was selected as study area for this research. CBET activities in this area includedguiding the tourists for trekking, camping, wild-elephant watching at elephant observation tower, homestay services and handicraft. The benefits of CBET to local people were assessed in three main aspectsconsisting ofsocial, economic and environment.This study applied an evaluation research. A survey design was used with a standardized questionnaire mainly to assess the benefits gained based on the perceptionof local people of ninetysampledhouseholdsfrom both group-based tourism (GTA) and individual-based tourism (ITA). Moreover, field observation, key informants interview, semi-structuredinterview and focus group discussion were also applied. This research was focused on quantitative analysis with the support of qualitative approach.The main findings of this research showed thatall respondents received very high benefits on forest fire protection and forest plantation inenvironmental aspects. However, as comparedwith other type of environmental benefits, protection of wild-elephant in this area wasgainedat a low degree. Fromsocial aspects, all respondents from GTA and ITA gained very high benefits on promoting handicraft skills and cultural pract
Scholarship Donor(s): Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway
Note: A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Regional and Rural Development Planning
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