Eco & Community Based Tourism

Aerial view of islands

By Denys Nevozhai on Unsplash

Eco & Community Based Tourism
SectorMost major industry classification systems use sources of revenue as their basis for classifying companies into specific sectors, subsectors and industries. In order to group like companies based on their sustainability-related risks and opportunities, SASB created the Sustainable Industry Classification System® (SICS®) and the classification of sectors, subsectors and industries in the SDG Investor Platform is based on SICS.
Services
Hospitality and Recreation
Business Model Description

Through B2B and B2C models, communities that have that have attractive, and/or cultural assets, i.e. local livelihood, craftsmanship, traditional farming and cuisines can adapt their communities into attractions for eco- and community-based tourism. Through training on tourism management and entrepreneurship, and construction of facilities and accommodations, he communities can generate revenue from servicing tourists while also preserving their ecological and cultural assets. This IOA will help distribute tourism income to remote areas to help reduce income inequalities, generate incomes for communities from lodgings, selling local food and products and guided tour services, and help the planet from incentivizing communities to protect the environment and ecosystem as attractions for eco-tourism. Investors can invest money directly in the communities to develop their tourism capacity or in companies that will partner with communities. Some examples of companies in this space are:

Local Alike is a famous social enterprise that partners with communities across country to help them develop community-based tourism. The products are, for instance, guided tours to experience a local lifestyle and homestay accommodation, with future plans to tap into promoting local-made products and cuisines.

Suan Sampran is recognized as a popular organic tourism destinationin Nakhonpathom province, officially operated in 1962. It works hand in hand with local farmers to produce organic vegetables, fruits, and health and wellness products for the farmer market. Guests can practise traditional Thai crafts, experience herbal healing treatment, enjoy Thai fine dining, visit farmer market, or tour local farms.

Mae Kampong is a showcase of eco- and community-based tourism in Chiang Mai province where visitors can enjoy experiences of local lifestyle, such as traditional tea leaves preparation, coffee farming, traditional massage, and homestay that are run by local communities (17).

Expected Impact

Eco- and community-based tourism in second tier provinces generates income and incentivizes communities to protect natural and cultural assets.

Indicative ReturnDescribes the rate of growth an investment is expected to generate within the IOA. The indicative return is identified for the IOA by establishing its Internal Rate of Return (IRR), Return of Investment (ROI) or Gross Profit Margin (GPM).
> 25% (in ROI)
Investment TimeframeDescribes the time period in which the IOA will pay-back the invested resources. The estimate is based on asset expected lifetime as the IOA will start generating accumulated positive cash-flows.
Short Term (0–5 years)
Market SizeDescribes the value of potential addressable market of the IOA. The market size is identified for the IOA by establishing the value in USD, identifying the Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) or providing a numeric unit critical to the IOA.
> USD 1 billion
Average Ticket Size (USD)Describes the USD amount for a typical investment required in the IOA.
< USD 500,000
Direct ImpactDescribes the primary SDG(s) the IOA addresses.
Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8) Reduced Inequalities (SDG 10)
Indirect ImpactDescribes the secondary SDG(s) the IOA addresses.
Zero Hunger (SDG 2) Good health and well-being (SDG 3)
Sector Sources
  • 1) https://www.nesdc.go.th/download/document/Yearend/2021/plan13.pdf 2) https://www.unicef.org/thailand/media/5071/file/SocialImpactAssessmentofCOVID-19inThailand.pdf 3) http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/thailand/15747.pdf 4) https://www.mol.go.th/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/06/สถิติแรงงานประจำปี-2562.pdf 5) https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/---ro-bangkok/documents/briefingnote/wcms_747944.pdf 6) https://www.oecd.org/economy/surveys/Economic-assessment-thailand-overview-2020.pdf 7) https://www.theglobaleconomy.com/rankings/international_tourism_revenue/ 8) https://www.bot.or.th/Thai/MonetaryPolicy/EconomicConditions/AAA/250624_WhitepaperVISA.pdf 9) https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/travel-logistics-and-infrastructure/our-insights/reimagining-travel-thailand-tourism-after-the-covid-19-pandemic 10) https://www.jica.go.jp/project/thailand/025/materials/ku57pq00003u68o4-att/survey_202003.pdf 11) https://hss.moph.go.th/fileupload/2560-102.pdf) 12) https://www.boi.go.th/en/grassroot 13) https://www.eeco.or.th/web-upload/fck/editor-pic/files/industry/High-value%20and%20medicaltourism_2020.pdf 14) https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/ST.INT.RCPT.CD?locations=TH
IOA Sources
  • 1) https://thaiembdc.org/2017/02/13/ecotourism-gaining-ground-in-thailand/ 2) https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/ST.INT.RCPT.CD?locations=TH 3) https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.CD?locations=TH 4) http://nscr.nesdb.go.th/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/05-การท่องเที่ยว.pdf 5) https://waa.inter.nstda.or.th/stks/pub/2021/20210519-bcg-strategy-2564-2569.pdf 6) https://tis.dasta.or.th/dastaknowledge/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/criteria-cbt-Ver-Eng2.pdf 7) https://nakhonratchasima.mots.go.th/article_attach/215444.pdf 8) https://localalike.com/pdf/annual-report-2018.pdf 9) http://nscr.nesdb.go.th/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/17_NS_16.pdf 10) http://sdgs.nesdc.go.th/เกี่ยวกับ-sdgs/เป้าหมายที่-10-ลดความไม่เ/ 11) https://www.rolandberger.com/publications/publication_pdf/roland_berger_the_second_national_tourism_development_plan_2017_2021.pdf 12) https://web.thailandsha.com/about/details 13) https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/gender/2019/10/24/what-you-want-to-see-is-what-you-get-realities-representations-and-reputations-of-sex-tourism-in-bangkok/ 14) https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1922736/sex-workers-left-in-cold-by-outbreak 15) https://tic.mots.go.th/app/landing 16) https://www.boi.go.th/upload/content/BOI-A%20Guide_EN.pdf 17) https://researchcafe.org/community-based-tourism/ 18) http://nscr.nesdb.go.th/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B8%E0%B8%9B%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%9B%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A2-Update-04-12-2562.pdf