Developing Creative Tourism on the Basis of Cultures of Conservation: Case Study of the Karen Communities in Kaen Makrut Subdistrict, Ban Rai District, Uthai Thani Province

Abstract

Thailand has lessons on tourism development success, but at the same time, there are still shortcomings resulted from over- tourism and misdirected development. Recently, tourism that emphasizes quality and benefits to the community and environment have been promoted; but in many cases, communities are just the backdrop of tourism, and tourists only change destinations to visit but rarely learn about the community ways of life.

The research aims to explain the process whereby the concept of creative tourism was used to develop tourism content and activities that foster cultural respect and enhance conservation, especially where community culture is already based on the philosophy of conservation. The research team selected Pwo Karen communities in Kaen Makrut Subdistrict, Ban Rai District, Uthai Thani Province as the research site. The methods used include documentary review, field data collection, In- depth and group interviews with the elders, the leaders, and others interested in community stories.

This research compiles the data to create points of interest, tourism routes, and travel guides that encourage tourists to learn to see the value of culture of conservation while understand the conditions of socio- cultural change and community adaptation. Another creative move is to give the community the opportunity and the voice to tell their own stories.