Awareness and Participation of Thai Tourists in Environmental Conservation of Natural Attractions in Koh Samui, Surat Thani Province

Abstract

The purposes of this research were to investigate the awareness and participation of Thai tourists in environmental conservation of natural attractions in Koh Samui, Surat Thani province, and to study the factors relating to the participation in environmental conservation of natural attractions, including to suggest guidelines for participation in environmental conservation of natural attractions. The samples in quantitative research were 400 Thai tourists, selected by convenience sampling technique and 30 samples for qualitative data collection, selected by purposive sampling technique. A questionnaire with a .987 reliability index and semi-structured interviews were deployed to be the research instrument. Quantitative data analysis used frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, t-test, One-way ANOVA, and Pearson Product - Moment Correlation Coefficient. Content Analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data.  

The findings revealed that awareness towards environmental conservation of tourists was at a high level. The participation of Thai tourists in the environmental conservation was at a moderate level. Gender, age, education, and career factors were not related significantly to participation in environmental conservation. In addition, there was a relationship between awareness and participation in environmental conservation (p<0.01, r = 0.203).  Guidelines and participation model for environmental conservation management of natural attractions comprised of providing knowledge about the environment, raising awareness, consciousness in conserving natural resources and the environment, environmental conservation behavior, and participation of various sectors, including government, private sector, citizens, and tourists.