The City of a Thousand Smiles: Sustainability and the Pursuit of Tourism in Chiang Mai

Tourism has been emphasized extraordinarily in the development plans of Thailand in the last thirty years, with some significant results. Its contribution to the GDP has been considerable, and public investments in its infrastructure have also benefited many other sectors of the economy and the development of the provinces, while private investments have stimulated local economies. But tourism has also raised many questions about its ability and appropriateness to support long-term sustainable development, especially at the local level. This chapter reports on an exploration of a range of issues associated with tourism in Chiang Mai and its impact on the local economy, quality of visitors, physical infrastructure, environment, public health, and local culture. It also assesses the tourism sector’s sustainable development potential for Chiang Mai and identifies some courses of action that can be taken in order to shape future local tourism policies.