Touristic ecological footprint in Mu Ko Surin National Park

Abstract

The objectives of this study were: 1) to study the resource consumption per tourist in terms of the amount of carbon dioxide emission due to the activities per tourist, 2) to compare the difference in the touristic ecological footprint (TEF) of day-trip and overnight-stay tourists, and 3) to determine the TEF concerning the demand for forest areas to absorb CO2 that is released from the activities of the tourists. Using systematic random sampling, a constructed questionnaire was collected from 397 Thai tourists who visited Mu Ko Surin National Park during October 2014–May 2015. The results showed that day-trip and overnight-stay tourists released an amount of CO2 in one day from four activities that accounted for 177.62 kgCO2e and 132.06 kgCO2e per person, respectively. Regarding assessment of TEF in one year based on the statistics from tourists in 2013, it was found that the demand for CO2-absorbing areas from activities of tourists was 679.59 gha, in which the average per tourist accounted for the demand for CO2-absorbing areas from the activities equal to 0.033 gha per capita. Such consumption behavior required a forest area about one-fifth of all the forest in Mu Ko Surin National Park. Assessment of the TEF can be used as an indicator to assess the sustainability of tourism and as an effective interpretative tool for environmental study. Additionally, this can create and stimulate environmental awareness that may induce behavioral changes in consumption patterns, which are more environmentally friendly in the future.