From Leakages to Linkages: Local-Level Strategies for Capturing Tourism Revenue in Northern Thailand

Tourism in the rural areas of developing countries is expanding at a rapid pace and is often a primary means of income in these areas. However, high levels of leakage dramatically reduce the economic impact of such tourism. While the problem of economic leakage in rural peripheries is well documented, there is a paucity of research on strategies to reduce leakage. Strategies that can be employed at the village level may be especially useful as they do not require the co-operation of outside stakeholders who may profit from the leakage out of the village. This study identifies three such strategies employed in rural villages in northern Thailand and uses the case-study method to evaluate their effectiveness. It concludes with a discussion of the applicability of these strategies to other locations.