Rural tourism along the Mae Klong River (Samut Songkhram, Thailand) : prospects and pitfalls

![CDATA[Sustainable tourism can help minimise the impacts of destructive fishing and other human exploitative activities on freshwater ecosystems (Everard & Kataria, 2011). Community based tourism in rural areas is focused on the welfare of the local communities and their heritage, both natural and cultural, which are vital to the quality of human life. To sustain riverine tourism, the tourism industry should ensure that management incorporates long-term strategies that are consistent with the principles of sustainable development. If not properly managed, tourism can cause various disturbances, such as diminished ecological and aesthetic integrity of river system. In this paper riverine tourism in a rural area is emphasised. Many rivers in the world, small and large, are popular tourist attractions as well as valuable sources of economic livelihoods. However, rivers are generally less understood from the tourism management perspective than other nature-based attractions (e.g. coral reefs, coastal wetlands) despite the fact that they are considered the 'lifeline' of human civilisation. The primary aim of the paper is to examine how the local communities feel about the prospect of introducing tourism development along the Mae Klong River as well as their personal perceptions about the values and risks associated with tourism. Suggestions on how community-based rural tourism can be developed and sustained are presented.]]