CCDKM AND VERY LOCAL TRIP PARTICIPATORY TRAINING WORKSHOP HELPS KICK-OFF COMMUNITY BASED TOURISM INITIATIVE IN BURIRAM, THAILAND

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Photography Credits Nicky Almasy

Buriram- 23-25 September 2016

Tourism is recognized as one of the largest industries in the world and one of the most significant sources of employment, especially in developing countries. According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the country ranks as the top global destination for international travelers in Asia Pacific with Bangkok as number one city. However, there is still a strong divide between urban and rural settings. Being aware of such divisions, The Research Center of Communication and Development Knowledge Management (CCDKM) has collaborated since two years with Very Local Trip, one among the top ten start-up companies for Community Based Tourism (CBT) in Asia. The purpose of this collaboration is to empower rural communities on how to use new media and entrepreneurship skills to reach international markets and create income generation opportunities.

The ASEAN Community Based Tourism Standard defines Community Based Tourism (CBT) as  “a form of tourism that seeks to empower communities to manage tourism growth and achieve community aspirations relating to their well-being, and includes economic, social and environmental sustainable development.”

As a continuation of the ongoing CBT projects in Thailand, CCDKM and Very Local Trip have implemented on 23-25 September 2016 the project “Capacity Building for Cultural Heritage Preservation and Eco-Tourism Promotion in Buriram”. The project supported by The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) consisted in the organization and delivery of a three-days participatory training workshop and study tour in Buriram, a province in the northeast of Thailand.  15 participants from the hospitality business, local organizations, restaurants and local communities joined the event.  The training workshop was led by Dr. Kamolrat Intaratat, Director of CCDKM and Wanda Gabai, Social Entrepreneur and trainer. The aim was to develop trainees’ skills and competencies to improve the quality of their tourism experiences at the local level, revitalize the local economy, alleviate poverty, preserve culture and traditions, and create employment opportunities for their local communities. The outcome of this training is the launch of the Buriram CBT initiative on verylocaltrip.com in October 2016. Travelers will be able to enjoy Buriram with locals and stay at The Baan Bongphoohn vintage Resort surrounded by paddy fields, the Charoen Suk volcanic soil village, the Nong Takai silk village, the Kok-Muang traditional farm, and ancient cultural heritage sites.

“Globalization has already changed the organic lifestyle of our communities, many artisans have abandoned their local practices and tried to find other jobs to survive. Thai silk is slowly disappearing due to machines and fast fashion. This training was an opportunity to improve our visual merchandising skills and attract international visitors traveling through Very Local Trip, to purchase our silk accessories at our village and sustain our community”, said Ms.  Ampai Sornchai, Community Leader at Nong Takai Silk Village.

Trainees were enthusiastic to learn CBT new skills and competencies and immediately apply them to their cultural environment and local businesses. Both the elderly local artisans and youths joined hands and supported each other with one common goal: to share worldwide the stories of their villages and preserve their local wisdom and traditions and boost their businesses through new media channels and online marketplaces.

MEET YIM AND SA, BURIRAM LOCAL FRIENDS AND BOOK YOUR TRIP HERE.

For more information, contact:
The Research Center of Communication and Development Knowledge Management (CCDKM)
Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, Nonthaburi, 11120, Thailand
T. +66 (02) 504 8756
CCDKM.ORG@GMAIL.COM
CCDKM.ORG

VERY LOCAL TRIP
contact@verylocaltrip.com
T. +66 (0)81 83 75 655

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