Study On The Local Community Participatory Approach Ecotourism Development

The main objective of this paper is to study the involvement of community residents in regards to business management and the development of an eco-tourism oriented community in Natan and Kong Lor villages in central Laos. The research study was conducted using both qualitative and quantitative research. A survey was given to previous tourists with the aim of gauging customer satisfaction while in-depth interviews were undertaken with the local residents for their views on community participation in eco-tourism, their satisfaction, evaluation and opinion of tourist activities and the benefits and disadvantages of sustained tourism on the local village and environment. The results from the survey showed that customer satisfaction was average, while feedback from the interviews displayed a gulf between the two villages in regards to the distribution of benefits and profits from tourism. My conclusions from the study are that in order to better promote and develop Kong Lor and Natan villages, community residents must improve their management and marketing of tourist activities, the Laos government should invest in under-developed tourism sites and community support and spirit for the two sites must be fostered and nurtured with the ultimate objective of building sustainable eco-tourist sites for the future.