A Study of the Environmental, Economic, and Social/Cultural Impacts of Historical and Cultural Tourism in the Old Town District of Chiang Mai: Evaluating the Sustainable Development Possibilities for a Destination under Consideration as a World Herit

Chiang Mai is one of the most famous tourist destinations in Thailand. It is currently included on a UNESCO list of tentative World Heritage sites. If approved, this designation may lead to benefits such as additional tourists visiting Chiang Mai but may also cause more problems. This research investigates potential economic, sociocultural and environmental impacts that this designation may have on the Chiang Mai Old Town district. The study area is composed of six temples with high value as tourism destinations. The impacts are analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative methods to identify positive and negative results. The social and cultural impacts were mixed. Although becoming a World Heritage site would offer increased opportunities to educate foreigners about Thai culture, it might denigrate local culture by treating it as just a commodity for foreigners. The economic impact results show that income would be higher, but so would the cost of living in the area. Although there would be positive environmental impacts such as better management of the historic site ecosystem, the amount of non-biodegradable waste in the area would increase. Furthermore, analysis of life cycle assessment (LCA) data on this tourism area indicates that environmental impact levels would depend on the number of visitors. In order to provide sustainable tourism in the study area, we also propose policy making guidelines.