Abstract:
The objective of this research is to study economic linkages of ecotourism activities in Phuket province. These ecotourism activities must be operated either by local communities or by local people but facilitated and administrated by their community. The economic linkages of ecotourism activities are considered by the expense spent by these operators to produce goods and services for the ecotourism activities. If the local communities operate the activities by themselves, this research will study how they utilize the profit on their communities benefits. The study shows that there are ecotourism activities in 6 communities. In Ban Bangrong, Ban Ko Maprao and Ban Borae, the activities are operated by local communities themselves and in Ban Ao Po, Ban Pa Klok, and Ban Bangkontee, the activities are operated by local people with their communities controls and supports. Since the study tends to be a qualitative research, most of the primary data are collected through individual in-depth Interview as well as participatory observation, utilizing the community and the operator as units of analysis. The research results indicate that all of the ecotourism activities, according to this researchs definition, generate backward economic linkages inside the communities more than the linkages outside the communities. The seafood restaurants are the most important income generators and have various backward economic linkages inside the communities. Moreover, the local communities that operate the ecotourism activities by themselves really utilize the profit on their communities benefits such as profit sharing, communities welfare, environmental conservation and natural resources restoration. The key success factor is the local communities strength and unity. So, it is recommended that the local empowerment in management and technology skills should be committed. In this context, ecotourism can increase economic opportunities and generate income in a more equitably-distributed way in local communities and can provide motives and abilities for communities to manage and conserve their resources as well.