A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ECOTOURISM TOUR CONDUCT OF TOUR OPERATORS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF QUALITY GREEN TOURISM BUSINESS: A CASE STUDY OF TOUR OPERATORS IN PHUKET AND BALI
Keywords:
Green Tourism, Ecotourism, Sustainable Tourism, ThailandAbstract
This study has the objectives to 1) examine and compare the ecotourism practices of the ecotour operators in Phuket and Bali and 2) analyze if the practices of those tour operators are in accordance with ecotourism principles by employing a research instrument - the 6 E’s Ecotourism Model for Tour Operators (EMTO) - from the past research to evaluate the practices of ecotour operators. The 4 samples were purposively selected based on prior study’s referral. Participant observation and in-depth interview are used to collect the required data of which are content analyzed to determine if their practices correspond to ecotourism principles. Based on the findings, the tour conducts of the four operators in Phuket and Bali are congruent with ecotourism principles, and they are the quality ecotourism operators. However, some practices may not be associated with the ecotourism principles. Suggestions are provided on the responsible tour conduct for the tour operators to promote the quality green tourism business.
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