The Role of Design in Creating Sustainability in Tourism Development: The Case of Bang Saen, Thailand

Abstract

Tourism has become one of the largest and fastest growing economic sectors in the world, and it
is predicted that the signifi cance of tourism will increase in the future. This long-term trend has
encouraged many governments in both developed and developing countries to adopt tourism as an engine of socio-economic development. The massive, rapid and promising growth of tourism provides greater opportunities for spreading prosperity but also contributes to the transformation of natural and cultural landscapes on which tourism depends. This paper will discuss the role of design in tourism development for maintaining the landscapes upon which the sustainability of tourism depends.