Tat Strategy Policy for Ecotourism Development in Thailand

local community income from agricultural production to services and handicraft production for tourists.

- In Australia:

In Australia, the management of the exploitation of ecotourism potential is assigned to the Australian Ecotourism Association. This association was established in 1991 as a non-profit organization to manage ecotourism activities - a spearhead type of tourism in the Australian tourism industry. The members of the association include: accommodation and travel businesses, development planners, protected area managers, tourist areas and local communities.

The scope of the Australian Ecotourism Association is to lead and support ecotourism and other tourism activities to become responsible tourism; committed to ensuring environmental sustainability, economic viability, social and cultural in exploiting the potential of ecotourism.

The mission of the Australian Ecotourism Association is to develop, strengthen and promote sustainable ecotourism and other tourism activities through the following approaches: Developing, promulgating and applying sustainable development standards; enhancing the professionalism of those working in the tourism industry; streamlining procedures for registering ecotourism activities in protected areas; enhancing the provision of necessary information on resource conservation; and enhancing the position and financial capacity of operators in ensuring sustainability.

The Association has launched a program to recognize ecotourism and issue ecotourism guide certificates. This is a program to recognize ecotourism activities for a period of time for the subjects. Units and individuals who want to operate ecotourism must be provided with knowledge and experience in ecotourism activities, must have a practice certificate and commit to ensuring ecotourism standards, must have a team of ecotourism guides certified by the Association. To improve the effectiveness of their activities, most

All units are registered for ecotourism activities, responsible tourism and strictly implement ecotourism standards. Therefore, sustainability in tourism development is clearly demonstrated in Australia's tourism activities.

- In Thailand:

The tourism industry in Thailand has been growing steadily since it was supported by the country's socio-economic development policy. The success of the tourism industry has generated significant revenue and income, making it one of Thailand's major industries, second only to the electronics industry in terms of revenue. In 1998-1999, the economic and tourism development created an "Amazing Thailand" and that development has been relatively steady.

However, the rapid growth of the tourism industry has led to environmental degradation, resulting in negative public perceptions of the tourism industry, and KDL has refused to return to Thailand's tourism industry. To correct past mistakes and develop a sustainable development plan, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has conducted research on the issues of responsible tourism and sustainable tourism development. The concept of ecotourism has been emphasized as one of the strategies used to meet the principles of sustainable development.

With the great potential of ecotourism due to rich natural resources and unique cultural resources, Thailand has formed more than 600 suitable attractions developed as ecotourism spots mainly concentrated in national parks and attracting a significant number of tourists. At first, the standards of these ecotourism services were low, not paying attention to the protection of natural resources, because ecotourism activities involved many subjects, the coordination between the parties involved was not close and synchronous and there was no common "command". Therefore, TAT set out that there must be a specific government policy to promote and manage ecotourism activities.

The overall objective of Thailand’s ecotourism development policy is to develop a sustainable tourism industry that maintains a healthy and self-reliant natural and social environment. This policy involves all areas such as: environment, forestry and resource management; sustainable tourism; socio-economic development, community participation and human development. TAT has developed an ecotourism strategy as part of a sustainable tourism policy.

Based on the issued policies, TAT has piloted ecotourism development in the Umphang area (a district rich in natural resources and cultural resources). The management of the pilot ecotourism activities is a collaboration between TAT, Umphang district authorities, Tak province, royal sanctuaries and the Department of Natural Resources and Environment. The success of the Umphang pilot model is due to the attraction of many participants, with more and more tourists coming, wildlife strictly protected and the tourism environment increasingly improved. To replicate the Umphang ecotourism model, TAT has developed strategic policies to develop ecotourism.

Table 1.7. 6 TAT strategic policies for ecotourism development in Thailand

STT

Strategic policies
1	Environmental management policy and TNDL
2	Policy to raise public awareness about the environment
3	Policy of coordination between local communities and support from businesses industry in developing eco-tourism
4	DLST promotion marketing policy
5	Infrastructure construction policy
6	DLST investment policy

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(Source: author's own synthesis from ecotourism development in Thailand, 2012)

To achieve the TAT's ecotourism goals, an ecotourism management network was established, including: National Ecotourism Board, Thai Ecotourism Association, Local Government, and Tourism and Environmental Protection Committee. Therefore, ecotourism has become

become a key component, ensuring the sustainable development of Thailand's tourism industry.

1.5.2. Research on some domestic eco-tourism models:

- At Ba Be Lake - Bac Kan

Bac Can is not a locality with developed tourism, but nature has bestowed upon Bac Can a "Green Pearl in the heart of the Northeast", which is Ba Be Lake, a clear, blue lake surrounded by Ba Be National Park with an area of 23,340 hectares, a primeval forest system with up to 417 species of plants and

299 species of vertebrates, including many rare animals,.... Around Ba Be Lake is the settlement of Tay, Nung ethnic groups... with unique and pristine ethnic cultural identities. A typical example is Pac Ngoi village in Nam Mau commune, right next to Ba Be Lake, which still retains the cultural identity of the indigenous Tay people. With simple traditional stilt houses, unique dishes in the village such as grilled goat meat served with grilled sticky rice, grilled fish, sour shrimp... smooth Then singing performances, Tinh lute, artifacts clearly showing the daily life of the people such as: fishing nets, nets, rattan weaving, ethnic musical instruments, very attractive to tourists, especially international tourists.

In order to exploit the values of natural resources and cultural heritage for tourism, in addition to benefiting from the "Sustainable Tourism Development Project of the Greater Mekong Sub-region", the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Bac Kan province has implemented a number of projects: Bac Can - Ba Be - Pac Nam Road Project; Ba Be Ecotourism Area Project, especially the "Project for Preservation and Development of Pac Ngoi Traditional Cultural Village". In Pac Ngoi village, we have built and invested in equipment for ecological houses, supported the restoration of ancient stilt houses, trained the community on ecotourism, etc. to improve the quality of tourism services, preserve and enrich the unique cultural heritage of the indigenous people, thereby linking tourism development with the preservation of national cultural values.

The homestay model in Pac Ngoi village is quite developed, most families in the village can welcome and serve guests, with prices ranging from 70,000 VND - 100,000 VND / guest day. Guests can eat and stay with the extended family of Pac Ngoi village in a beautiful, quiet space, feel the hospitality as well as experience the primitive life of the indigenous Tay people. The village has established a traditional art troupe to serve guests regularly. In early spring, the tourist area will fully enjoy the Long Tong Festival of the Tay people in the Ba Be Spring Festival held in Nam Mau commune on January 10 every year.

With the efforts of the authorities at all levels and the community, the number of tourists coming to Ba Be Lake increased year by year: 52,000 in 2004, and 2010.

150,000 visitors, in 2011 it was 193,000 visitors with revenue of 135 billion VND.

- In Can Gio - Ho Chi Minh City:

In addition to the rich forest resources and mangrove flora and fauna, recognized by UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve in 2000, there are also historical-cultural resources and long-standing and diverse traditional craft villages. Recently, Can Gio district's ecotourism site has become a familiar address for tourists to Ho Chi Minh City.

Can Gio has an area of 714km2, of which half of the area is mangrove forest with 12,000 hectares of natural forest and 20,000 hectares of planted forest, becoming the "green lung" of the city. The fauna of Can Gio's mangrove forest is assessed by scientists to have high value in terms of biodiversity conservation, with over 200 animal species, including 11 reptile species listed in the Vietnam Red Book.

Recognizing the value of natural and human resources in Can Gio, Ho Chi Minh City has proposed a plan to turn Can Gio district into a forest-sea ecological urban area. This plan has been materialized by the rapid construction and implementation of the project "System of works

"Sea reclamation combined with Can Gio urban-marine tourism area". The key project is a 600-hectare sea reclamation area, including tourism products such as an aquarium, a tourist route in the Sac forest, a bird's nest farming area, seafood exploitation and the construction of an underwater tunnel for visitors to visit and learn about tropical marine life.

Up to now, Can Gio district has had over 50 tourism service businesses, implementing the Project "Building Can Thach marine ecotourism area" with an area of 69 hectares. Tourism products are quite diverse: Watching monkeys, fishing crocodiles, participating in experiencing the life of farmers and fishermen in the district, Can Gio Whale Festival has been widely introduced at home and abroad, Can Gio-Vung Tau-Mui Ne marine tourism route has been deployed, ... Thanks to that, the growth rate of Can Gio's tourism industry has increased by an average of 24%/year, Can Gio ecotourism is increasingly widely promoted. In the past 3 years, Can Gio has attracted 1,200,000 visitors to visit, relax, conduct scientific research, and organize conferences, bringing great and practical benefits to the people of Can Gio island district in particular and Ho Chi Minh City in general.

1.5.3. Lessons learned in exploiting the potential of sustainable ecotourism

Based on the research experience of countries and some localities with developed ecotourism activities, based on the specific conditions of the country and each region, it can be flexibly applied to exploit the potential for ecotourism development in particular and tourism development in general in Vietnam today.

That is: Firstly : Ecotourism must be set as an inevitable requirement in tourism activities to ensure sustainable tourism development. This requirement needs to be thoroughly understood at all levels of government from central to local, to tourism businesses and communities.

Second : there must be an agency specializing in managing ecotourism activities. This agency is responsible for developing policies and regulations on ecotourism activities, guiding the implementation and supervising the implementation of ecotourism development policies.

Third : to exploit the potential of eco-tourism in a reasonable manner, ensuring the principle of sustainable development, there must be synchronous coordination between all levels and sectors and it must be carried out in a certain order, the following order:

(1) Assessing the potential for eco-tourism and conditions for exploiting the potential for eco-tourism of the locality or region

(2) Planning eco-tourism routes based on eco-tourism potential and conditions for exploiting eco-tourism potential.

(3) Deploy work to prepare conditions and organize activities for established tourist routes in accordance with the principles and regulations of tourist attractions.

(4) Managing the activities of tourism routes to ensure sustainable development.

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Fourth : building strategies, planning, plans and policies

Solutions to promote rational exploitation of resources for sustainable ecotourism development.

Fifth : training and developing human resources for tourism: Because the target audience of tourism is people, including both domestic and foreign tourists, it requires high qualifications of tourism staff. Therefore, training, fostering and educating staff is important for the development of sustainable ecotourism.

Sixth: tourism development goes hand in hand with environmental resource protection: Tourism development today is posing many problems that cannot be ignored: causing damage to the environment, ecological resources in many areas, cultural and historical works, social evils. The tourism environment can be understood as both the environment and the environment.

ecological environment and social environment such as: Green, clean, beautiful, civilized program, maintaining security and order in tourism activities (robbery, begging, forcing customers to buy goods, social evils) to make the destination safe, attractive, friendly to tourists.

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