Author: Acksonsay Rattanavong
AIT Library Call Number: AIT Thesis no.RD-08-01
Year: 2008
Academic Program: Regional and Rural Development Planning (RRDP)
Type: Thesis (M.Sc.) – Asian Institute of Technology, 2008
Examination Committee: Mokbul Morshed Ahmad (Chairperson); Jayant Kumar Routray, Dietrich Schmidt Vogt (Examination Committee Members)
Abstract: Tourism development in Laos has developed at a rapid pace ever since the opening of the country twenty years ago. This fast development justifies the need for exploratory analysis on the effects of tourism development in the Kuangxi Waterfalls area, deemed a national treasure and one of the country’s most scenic tourist spots. The increasing size of tourist activities create the need for a thorough assessment both quantitative and qualitatively. In this research, secondary data were collected from an academic journals, books, magazines and internet. In addition, fieldwork was conducted through interviews with community groups to provide a detailed characterization of the surrounding environment. Qualitative technique was used to explore general and specific issues from key informants, discussion groups on points concerning past and present situation of the park induding its management and information regarding impact of tourism especially the environmental and socio-cultural aspects. The major contribution of this research is its furthering of the understanding ofthe both the positive and negative impacts that mass tourism can have on the park and local communities and livelihoods which can be used in extrapolating and planning for future development. It is demonstrated that with weak management capacity or lack thereof, coupled with a limited budget, the lack of specific government policies and the rule of law are ingredients for unsustainable development. Inferences were made from the analysis that community participation in the development and management process of the natural tourism sites is crucial given the impact on at least one local community. In addition to the specific results that were presented, the collective wisdom provided by the discussion of and analysis of mass tourism throughout this thesis provides valuable insight for others in a similar field of study
Scholarship Donor(s): AIT Fellowship
Note: A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the req uirements for the degree of Master of Science in Regional and Rural Development Planning
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