Carrying Capacity of Mae Wang Tourism Sites, Chiang Mai Province

Abstract

The research aims to study about the tourist carrying capacity of Mae Wang tourism in the Chiang Mai province. The sampling was divided into 2 clusters, including 400 tourists from accidental sampling with the questionnaires as a tool in data collection, and 25 respondents from purposive sampling were selected for in-depth interviews, including the representatives of entrepreneurs, governments, community leaders, and members. The data was analyzed using the physical carrying capacity (PCC) and facility carrying capacity (FCC) of Mae Wang tourism.

The findings showed that the physical carrying capacity of Mae Wang tourism is not higher than the real carrying capacity except that the waterfall and rafting spots on vacation are almost fully loaded for their land carrying capacity. The facility carrying capacity at Mae Wang tourism is overloaded, which could be a serious threat that urgently needs a solution to figure out the guidelines regarding 1) physical carrying capacity or land use at the waterfall; 2) water consumption at the Mae Wang River and Chiang Mai Royal Agricultural Research Center (Khun Wang); 3) waste management at the Mae Wang River; 4) transportation and parking places at the Mae Wang River and Chiang Mai Royal Agricultural Research Center (Khun Wang); 5) lavatory at the Mae Wang River and Chiang Mai Royal Agricultural Research Center (Khun Wang); 6) restaurants at the Chiang Mai Royal Agricultural Research Center (Khun Wang); and 7) accommodation and campgrounds at the Chiang Mai Royal Agricultural Research Center (Khun Wang).