Community Based Tourism (CBT)

The aim of Nutty’s Adventures has always been to offer holidays that are operated in a sustainable way and which bring benefit to all stakeholders.

We work in partnership with local communities to give our customers enjoyable and rewarding holiday experiences and in a way that brings full benefit to those communities.  So that we can spread the benefit was widely as possible and deliver it to where it is most needed,  we often work with communities that are comparatively undeveloped, but by working in genuine partnership with community elders, the local population can participate in all decisions regarding the operation and content of our tours and can then ensure that the benefits are fairly distributed according to need. Because these communities are often quite small and isolated, they are vulnerable to over-exploitation, and so to ensure the wellbeing of the local population, and will continue to have high-quality community-based tourism into the future, we must operate in a sustainable way that minimises any negative impact it may have on the people or their environment. We do not wish to disrupt the way of life of the local people, only to improve it.

The great importance of CBT is this direct support it gives to the local economies of small, sometimes remote, rural communities. As a customer it gives you the satisfaction of knowing that the money you are spending is going direct to the people who need it most and in return you have the opportunity to experience an authentic glimpse into the lives of ordinary people going about their daily lives, be they farmers or fishermen.  

You will experience local life as you live with your host family and eat your meals with them and their neighbours.  It could include meeting the village shaman, from whom you may learn more about the local culture in an hour than you would from spending long hours reading learned textbooks. You will also be introduced to new gastronomic delights as well as the fascinating folk culture of your hosts. 

The importance of community-based tourism was recognized in the kingdom a long time ago with many good initiatives. the Thai government is now actively encouraging neighboring countries to go down the same road. Similar projects are now running in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, and in all cases the focus is on rural areas where the people are most disadvantaged and are largely excluded from the increasing prosperity of the cities.

In Vietnam, for example, the CBT proceeds are collected by the government and used to pay the school fees for the children in rural areas. In Thailand, it is private initiative which channels the income generated through CBT directly to the local people

As already seen, community-based tourism means holidays away from the crowds of mass tourism, instead spending time in small, traditional communities. The aim is to bring clients into the close contact with local people whereby they can gain first-hand knowledge of their everyday lives and often unique culture. The beautiful local environment which CBT helps to preserve will be an added bonus. This approach is particularly suitable in regions largely forgotten by mainstream tourism and so it can focus on cautious, environmentally friendly development.

Current studies show that there is considerable demand for this type of holiday. In one survey of several thousand European citizens, they were asked about their preferred style of holiday in tropical regions. The most popular was a combination of a beach holiday with short excursions inland. This was chosen by almost 60 percent of respondents but it still leaves about 40 percent of travellers who are looking for a holiday that brings them closer to the local people, focuses on culture and tradition and brings benefit to the villagers who are kind enough to host them.

It is also characteristic of such tourists that they prefer simpler, local-style accommodation to the international resorts of mass tourism destinations. The survey found that there are almost two million tourists among Thailand’s visitors who would like to take a community-based holiday.

Do, if overcrowded beaches and giant resorts are not for you but rather you want to look behind the scenes here in Thailand, then you have come to the right place - we have been successfully operating CBT programmes for over 14 years and there is not much we don’t know about the subject. https://www.nutty-adventures.com/ . Your support is very important because it may help towards the survival of cultural groups threatened with extinction or absorption into the dominant culture. Every local person who finds employment in CBT to support his family is one less forced to migrate to the city to find work.  This contributes to family cohesion and the sustainable development of the community, and you can trust that the money you pay for your CBT arrangements in Thailand will go into the pockets of local people.

A CBT holiday will give you an unforgettable experience, give you unique insights into your favorite holiday destination and give you the opportunity to actively participate in the process of development. Community-based tourism really is a case where everyone involved benefits. 

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