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Quality Tourism in Thailand: Towards Sustainable Tourism or Further Wealth Concentration?

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  • Alexandre Veilleux

    (Department of Political Science, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada)

  • Bruno Sarrasin

    (Department of Urban and Tourist Studies, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC H2X 3X2, Canada)

Abstract

In its long-term vision for tourism development (2017–2036), Thailand has chosen to focus on the development of quality tourism, which is supposed to enable sustainable tourism development and a more inclusive sharing of tourism-generated revenues. However, the use of the term “quality tourism” remains conceptually unclear, and the means by which quality tourism will enable a more inclusive sharing of wealth remain ambiguous. Taking the tourist island of Phuket as a case study, we question how quality tourism has materialized on the island and how it has affected the configuration of power between large international hotel chains and local hotel operators regarding tourism development. Guided by a critical political economy framework and based on a qualitative methodology involving triangulation of data collection among official documents, semi-structured interviews, and participant observation, we argue that quality tourism in Phuket, although justified as a form of sustainable tourism, is more akin to luxury tourism. This has led to greater concentration of wealth among large hotel chains and real estate groups who have taken advantage of quality tourism-related policies to boost their portfolios at the expense of local stakeholders.

Suggested Citation

  • Alexandre Veilleux & Bruno Sarrasin, 2025. "Quality Tourism in Thailand: Towards Sustainable Tourism or Further Wealth Concentration?," Tourism and Hospitality, MDPI, vol. 6(1), pages 1-19, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jtourh:v:6:y:2025:i:1:p:34-:d:1595594
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Christian Rogerson & Wanjiku Kiambo, 2007. "The growth and promotion of regional tourism in the developing world: the South African experience," Development Southern Africa, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(3), pages 505-521.
    2. Jianchun Fang & Giray Gozgor & Sudharshan Reddy Paramati & Wanshan Wu, 2021. "The impact of tourism growth on income inequality: Evidence from developing and developed economies," Tourism Economics, , vol. 27(8), pages 1669-1691, December.
    3. Luc Renaud & Bruno Sarrasin, 2023. "Production of a Tourist Space and Territorial Governance Regime in French Guiana (Guyane Française)—The Challenges of Touristification in the Peripheral Territory of Haut-Maroni," Tourism and Hospitality, MDPI, vol. 4(1), pages 1-25, March.
    4. Chloe King & Wa Iba & Julian Clifton, 2021. "Reimagining resilience: COVID-19 and marine tourism in Indonesia," Current Issues in Tourism, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(19), pages 2784-2800, October.
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