Adoption of social policy for marine waste management to improve environmental degradation for sustainable beach tourism

This research aims to study the social policies of marine waste management implemented to mitigate environmental degradation and promote sustainable beach tourism, focusing specifically on the initiatives of local government administrators. Existing research has predominantly focused on green and eco-tourism, often overlooking the critical role of marine waste management. Thus, the objectives of this research are: 1) to examine the adoption of social policies initiated by local government administrators in managing marine waste and their impact on mitigating environmental degradation for sustainable beach tourism; and 2) to determine the extent of the effectiveness of the guidelines for activities on how to reduce marine waste in order to alleviate environmental degradation. The study area covers Koh Chang Island, which is a popular beach and coastal tourist attraction. The methodology employed a qualitative approach to collect the data, which involved eight participants undergoing three sets of semi-structured interviews. The content analysis of the findings indicates that the social policy framework implemented by administrative efforts in marine waste management can bolster policy coherence and implement activities to enhance the environmental conditions that are crucial for preserving beach tourism destinations. In the discussion and the conclusions sections, the importance of increased awareness, promotion of the eco-friendly behaviours of stakeholders, implementation of practical measures, and enforcement of regulations are presented. Additionally, the involvement of government administrators is deemed indispensable. Lastly, this study acknowledges its limitations and offers recommendations for future research.