Catalysing sustainable tourism: The case of Chiang Mai, Thailand

The document details Chiang Mai's transition toward sustainable urban tourism by implementing a non-motorised transport (NMT) strategy. Facing rapid growth and high emissions from the tourism sector—which generated 4,417,511 tons of CO2e in 2011—the city focused on walking and cycling to mitigate climate impact and alleviate poverty. The initiative, supported by the Mayor and a multi-stakeholder partnership, aims to increase bicycle lane networks from 4% to 10% in the city centre. The project served as a catalyst for further low-carbon policies, including a Global Environment Facility (GEF) pilot project and the proposed Chiang Mai City Council for Climate Change.

• In 2011, the tourism sector in Chiang Mai produced a total of 4,417,511 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), with the transport sector being the primary contributor at 95.8% of those emissions.
• The city's non-motorised transport (NMT) initiative is designed as a 'win-win' strategy that reduces greenhouse gas emissions while providing income-generating opportunities for the urban poor, such as street vendors and bicycle operators.
• Implementing NMT options in the target area is estimated to reduce annual local vehicle (diesel) travel by 535,820 to 1,339,550 kilometres, resulting in an annual reduction of 230–570 tons of CO2e, or 0.6–1.6% of ground transport emissions within the city.
• The city government has set a target to increase the proportion of bicycle lane networks within the city centre from the current 4% to 10%.
• The Sustainable Urban Transport project acted as a catalyst for further initiatives, including a pilot project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) focused on integrated land use and sustainable urban transport planning in the Three Kings Monument area.
• A significant limitation of local green tourism initiatives is that while they can address emissions within the city, they cannot mitigate the emissions generated by tourists travelling to the destination.

APA

Kusakabe, K., Shrestha, P., Kumar, S., & Suwanprik, T. (2014). Catalysing sustainable tourism: The case of Chiang Mai, Thailand. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN_InsideStory-ChiangMai_final_web-res-revised.pdf

Chicago

Kusakabe, Kyoko, Pujan Shrestha, S. Kumar, and Trinnawat Suwanprik. Catalysing sustainable tourism: The case of Chiang Mai, Thailand. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2014. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN_InsideStory-ChiangMai_final_web-res-revised.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kusakabe |first1=Kyoko |last2=Shrestha |first2=Pujan |last3=Kumar |first3=S. |last4=Suwanprik |first4=Trinnawat |title=Catalysing sustainable tourism: The case of Chiang Mai, Thailand |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=May 2014 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN_InsideStory-ChiangMai_final_web-res-revised.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kusakabe2014catalysing, author = {Kusakabe, Kyoko and Shrestha, Pujan and Kumar, S. and Suwanprik, Trinnawat}, title = {{Catalysing sustainable tourism: The case of Chiang Mai, Thailand}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2014}, month = may, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN_InsideStory-ChiangMai_final_web-res-revised.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }