Guidlines For Sustainable Eco-Tourism Management Among Entrepreneurs on Samed Island, Amphoe Mueang , Rayong Province

Abstract

ABTRACT

          The purposes of this study were to examine the opinions among entrepreneurs toward situations of sustainable eco-tourism on Samed Island and to investigate their opinions on the guidelines for sustainable eco-tourism management of Samed Island. The subjects participating in this study comprised 138 entrepreneurs, running business on Samed Island. The instrument used to collect the data was a questionnaire, surveying the opinions among these entrepreneurs toward sustainable eco-tourism management of Samed Island. The descriptive statistical tests used to analyze the collected data included frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation.

          The results of the study revealed that the subjects rated their opinions at the highest level for the statement that the tourism of Samed Island was likely to be a sustainable eco-tourism. Specifically, when considering each aspect of sustainable eco-tourism, the one in relation to political aspect was rated at the highest level by the subjects, followed by the aspect of sustainable eco-tourism in terms of economy, society and culture, and environment, respectively. Regarding the guidelines for sustainable eco-tourism management of Samed Island, it was shown that they were rated at the most appropriate level by the entrepreneurs. When considering each aspect of the guidelines, the one in relation to the tourism support staff was rated at the most appropriate level with the highest mean score. This was followed by the appropriate guidelines for sustainable eco-tourism management of Samed Island in terms of its tourism marketing, tourism policies, land-use planning, land tenure, tourism regulations/standards, tourism trainings and licensing, park development, business credit/incentives, and tourism joint ventures, respectively.