Chiang Mai Green Sightseeing Tour: Social enterprise and Chiang Mai Sustainable Development

Abstract

This research aims to study the operating model of Chiang Mai Green Sightseeing Tour and to study its problems and obstacles. The concepts of Social Enterprise, Sustainable Development and Eco-history Tourism are employed as the conceptual frameworks. Data are collected by utilizing in-depth interview, focus group interview and participatory observation. The result indicates that Chiang Mai Green Sightseeing Tour is a social enterprise which has the main purposes to convey the history of Chiang Mai, to preserve the old town communities and to look after the green areas and big trees in the city through eco-history tourism service for tourists by using the trams as vehicles. There are 2 forms of tourism activities: the city sightseeing by taking the trams and the community tourism in the old city area. Its major problems and obstacles are lacking of persons with knowledge of foreign languages, the extensive public relations, funds, and unpredictable changeable weather.