Thailand’s community-based tourism initiatives are driven by a rising interest in sustainable tourism and authentic experiences

TAT lends its support to CBT initiatives such as the water-based community of Amphawa in Samut Songkhram

Travel consultants are incorporating more community-based tourism (CBT) initiatives in their Thailand itineraries, driven by increased demand for more authentic cultural experiences from clients as well as a growing interest in sustainable travel.

Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is also bringing increasing support to the CBT sector. Part of its 2015 Discover Thainess campaign focuses on the so-called 12 Hidden Gems, provinces renowned for their unique history, culture and lifestyle, which includes projects such as Ban Nam Chiao Community in Trat, Klong Rua Community in Chumphon, Klong Noi Community in Surat Thani and Ban Bang Phlab Community in Samut Songkhram.

TAT has expanded its support for CBT beyond marketing to include a number of other initiatives. Its Green Community (under the 7 Greens project) and Thailand Tourism Awards have been developed to encourage entrepreneurs to improve product standards. The NTO has also set up the Thailand Community Based Tourism Institute to help establish guidelines for related products, which a spokesman said was key to the sector’s development.

CBT projects should be assessed on a case-by-case basis to ensure the sustainable development of the local communities, said Graham Read, sustainability and responsible tourism manager at Khiri Group.

“Many products in Thailand are marketed as CBT, but aren’t at all. Just because tourism occurs in a community doesn’t mean it’s CBT,” he said.

“There is confusion that CBT is ‘responsible tourism’. CBT can be ‘responsible’ but this is not always the case. The quality of CBT should be judged by the quality of the product and the benefit to the community as a whole.”

Another core challenge is navigating the fine line between providing an authentic experience of traditional life in a community and supporting a product which could actually hinder local development, said Soren Wettendorff, product development director,
Destination Asia Thailand.

“In many people’s view, not least some NGOs, CBT has to be a primitive experience, almost like an expedition into the agonising everyday life of poor people,” he said. “(Too many people think) if it does not look poor and worn out it is not CBT. To me this (perception) is like trying to keep the population underdeveloped.”

Successful CBT projects should become financially sustainable and self-funding after their set-up phase, he elaborated, and both the industry and tourists alike should become more accepting of local communities achieving the aspirations of the wider society at large.

Many DMCs and travel consultants, including luxury specialists, are currently marketing CBT as elements of an itinerary rather than the focus of an entire trip. The trade also needs to be selective about the source targets and demographics to which it markets such products.

“CBT in Thailand is becoming more popular, but not for all markets,” said Read. “For Khiri Travel, CBT is generally more popular with the young European market (Millennials) interested in soft adventure; it’s less popular with the American market. There also tends to be a perception amongst baby boomers that CBT cannot be associated with comfort.”

Wettendorff said community initiatives focused on wildlife and nature are often more successful and easier to sell than those offering cultural experiences.

“When it comes to direct interaction with local communities, I find that it’s a lot harder for people in general to handle,” he said. “The guests are afraid of being annoying to the local people and locals being afraid about not pleasing their ‘donors’ in the right way.”

Yann Gouriou, founder and managing director of Unicorn Hospitality, which manages Maekok River Village Resort in northern Thailand, said using a more conventional business, such as a hotel which works with the wider local community can be effective for developing CBT.

Maekok River Village Resort, in part due to its relatively remote location, has always worked closely with the local community “both as (a place of employment for locals), an education centre and a resort offering tours and educational programmes for students and hotel guests alike,” he said.

The property has also helped support local schools, raising more than 20 million baht (US$568,700) for some 150 projects over the past 11 years, and has developed strong links with a weaving cooperative run by Shan women in the nearby village of Ban Mai Mok Cham.

This article was first published in TTG Asia, November 13, 2015 issue, on page 23. To read more, please view our digital edition or click here to subscribe.