FEATURE: "Land of Smiles" Develops Eco-tourism

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 ◆ FEATURE: "Land of Smiles" Develops Eco-tourism

For Thailand -- "Land of Smiles", tourism is its pillar of economy and sustaining income source which is almost unaffected by recent global and regional economic turmoil.

However, after decades of continuous growth of foreign tourist arrivals, which could exceed 11 million this year, and increasing revenue that already accounts for 6 percent of the Gross Domestic Products (GDP), policy-makers and tourism experts begin to realize that a sustainable growth of the industry should not only rely on head counts and must not be at the expense of environmental decadence.

And the recent rise of the environment-friendly, energy-saving and resource-conserving eco-tourism in the country just comes at the right time.

Vithit Ratchatatanunt, a senior expert at the National Economic and Social Development Board, the government think-tank, even said eco-tourism is the future of Thai tourism, because it meets the needs for environmental conservation, personnel development and demands of tourists.

Reflecting the trend, earlier this month the government announced a five-year plan to foster eco-tourism business nationwide under the guidelines of sustaining and preserving the environment. It allocated 472 million baht (10.72 million U.S. dollars) for the plan.

According to the plan, an eco-tourism network will be set up atthe provincial, regional and national levels with a committee overseeing projects in each province.

The government will also promote eco-tourism in local and international markets and set up a database to provide information to investors interested in the sector.

Actually, farsighted local operators have already entered the eco-tourism business in the past decade or so. They successfully run a number of programs including trekking, rafting, bicycling, diving, rainforest-crossing, bird-watching, community-visiting and other nature-friendly activities.

"More and more operators are not only interested in making profits, and but have realized that spending by tourists who care about the ecosystem can be poured back into helping sustain the environment, " said Suparerk Surangura, president of the Thai Eco-tourism and Adventure Travel Association (TEATA) which groups over 30 eco-tourism companies.

Rural communities in different parts of the country are also demonstrating that eco-tourism, as a quality, alternative way of travelling is taking off in Thailand.

Since mid-1990s, dozens of villages nationwide have joined "Responsible, Ecological, Social Tour (REST)," a program initiated by nongovernmental organizations to promote eco-tourism in their home villages.

Huay Hee, a 22-household hill-top village in northwest Mae Hong Song province, 924 kilometers away from here, is one of REST members which boasts green forests, wildlife, and the unique Karen nationality culture and life style as its main attractions.

"We joined the eco-tourism program because we want to have extra income without affecting the nature," village headman Ashee told Xinhua during a press tour to the village later last year.

Although the remote village has no comfy hotels or other modern facilitation, tourists can enjoy a full taste of the life and culture of local people.

"In the city, I go to department stores when needing something,but here, I have learned that villagers rely on their own vision of a 24-hour supermarket: the forest that gives them medicine, food, shelter, clothes and other things," a German tourist told Xinhua.

The efforts of village communities in promoting eco-tourism have gained wide recognition. Khiriwong village, another REST member in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat, won the two-yearly Thai Tourism Awards in 1998 for being the country's best tourist attractions at the community level.

Villagers there consider tourism as an extra enterprises when they have free time from fruiting planting -- their major business.Tourism does improve local living conditions, but it is never allowed to become an excuse to abandon farming and change original life style.

Pojana, a REST program director pointed out that the eco-tourism offers a win-win situation for both parties-- tourists who want to travel and learn something from nature and local culture, and local people who need income.

Local analysts said as the government, tour operators and local communities are increasingly aware of the benefits of eco-tourism,the market is also expanding quickly. Official figures showed that presently 30 percent of foreign tourists and nearly one-third Thai travelers are eco-tourism.