The Development of Tourism Activities at Elephant Camps in Chiang Mai Province

Abstract

The objectives of this research were to 1) analyze the behavior of tourists visiting an elephant camp in Chiang Mai province; 2) study the tourism activities at the elephant camps; 3) study the opinions of the communities and stakeholders; 4) suggest guidelines for the development of tourism activities at the elephant camps. The research data was collected by using the tourist questionnaire, interviews with the entrepreneurs of elephant camps, the communities surrounding the elephant camps, and related agencies, then the data was processed by calculating the average and percentage. together with qualitative data analysis.

The results of the study found that Most tourists receive information about Elephant Camp tourism through the internet. The most popular activity is feeding elephants. Most people don't like riding elephants. The factor that influences the decision to choose an elephant camp is the natural atmosphere, allowing elephants to live naturally and getting close to elephants. The elephant camp can be divided into two types: an elephant camp that has and one that doesn't show the talents of the elephants, the latter tends to be more popular. Most elephant camps adjust activities to meet the needs of tourists. Most elephant camps show responsibility towards the environment and society and build good relationships with the surrounding communities. The communities themselves see that the elephant camps are helping the community both economically and socially. But most elephant camps still lack good interpretation. Therefore, elephant camps should focus on tourism activities that give tourists the opportunity to get close to elephants and nature, the interpretation should be developed to create understanding and raise awareness of conservation of elephants as well as natural resources and the environment.