Koh Phangan Thailand Flashcards
Koh Phangan: physical geography of the island
36 beaches
70% mountains
11 rivers
steep volcanic hills down to sheer cliffs
half of the island is a nature reserve
Koh Phangan: start of tourism
40years ago electricity was brought to the island
commercial scale in 1980’s
main attraction, full moon parties
Koh Phangan: growth of tourism
luxury status for some resorts in 2005
Koh Phangan: will it ever become a mass tourism destination
no due to poor infrastructure
water supply is unreliable
electricity stops frequently
Koh Phangan: economic impact of tourism
2019, 11% of GDP
2021 tourist visits 11.15mil, 2019 peak of 39.8mil
2016 - $50bn dollars contributed to national GDP
11% of national employment
Koh Phangan: disruptors of toursim
seasonality.
Hotel occupancy 80% during high seasons and 30% during off-peak times
Koh Phangan: social impacts of tourism
economic leakage occurs as resorts/hotels expand and get bigger
50,000 people attending full moon parties as opposed to 30 previously
Koh Phangan: negative environmental impacts of tourism
56% of food waste from luxury hotels
km of abandoned nets left in the coral reefs
people collect plastic but there is no money for it to be sorted so most of it is burned
Koh Phangan: social responses to tourism
shift attractions from full moon parties to meditation retreats
move for nice, ecotourism
Koh Phangan: environmental responses to tourism
traditional farming techniques are used
artspaces for sustainability have been built upon
more information about the area has helped control the tourists and their actions in the nature reserve
Koh Phangan: parks model - exploration
1983
Koh Phangan: parks model - developlment
full moon parties become trending
Koh Phangan: parks model - consolidation
2012 deaths at these parties
Koh Phangan: parks model - rejuvenation
meditation resorts/luxury ecotourism
