Ecotourism Development of Maeyao Sub-district Municipality, Muang District, Chiangrai Province

Abstract

          This research aimed (1) to study activities and potential in tourism management of Maeyao Municipality, Muang District, Chiangrai Province. (2) to study ecotourism development of Maeyao Municipality, Muang District, Chiangrai Province. And (3) to analyze promoting guideline ecotourism development of Maeyao Municipality, Muang District, Chiangrai Province by qualitative methods. The data was collected by semi-structured interviews from 16 persons who were Maeyao municipality staff, community entrepreneurs, community leaders, and members, and tourists and analyzed by using content analysis and summarize. The results showed that:
          1. The activities and potential in tourism management of Maeyao Municipality, Muang District, Chiangrai Province were found there had 10 tourist attractions and 4 tourism activities consist of the Sightseeing tour, Trekking tour, cultural tourism activities, and homestays, and educational tourism activities.
          2. The ecotourism development of Maeyao Municipality, Muang District, Chiangrai Province showed (1) For tourism area, there were developed tourist attractions such as parking, travel route sign, Village entrance sign, including infrastructure; water systems, electrical systems, toilets, and waste management. (2) For tourism management; there were planned for tourist attraction development, established security measures and tourist property, setting the number of tourists in the tourism area, doing public media, established a tourist information center including community internet service, budget allocation, followed up and evaluated the ecotourism development of Maeyao Municipality. (3) For education and awareness, the staff is given the knowledge of ecotourism and homestay management, good hygiene and waste management, and people development by study visits, teaching the students, and English communication and technology training for community entrepreneurs, community leaders, and members. (4) For community participation and income distribution, the Maeyao Municipality supported budgeting to doing public media, tourism promoting, and building the ethnic group tourism network.
          3. The promoting guideline ecotourism development of Maeyao Municipality, Muang District, Chiangrai Province were (1) they should survey and evaluate the tourist attractions for planning and improving the tourist attractions sustainably. (2) they should create the digital media, budget acquisition, and allocation suitably, making various travel programs. (3) they should create the content of tourism attractions briefly and clearly for the tourists. (4) they should set the tourism program and travel route by bringing the identity of tribal cultural tourism with community participation for selling to the tourists, including to generate income for people in the community.