Department of Industrial Engineering, School of Engineering, King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok, Thailand.
School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, University of Surrey, Stag Hill, Guildford, The United Kingdom.
PLoS One. 2023 Jul 26;18(7):e0288839. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288839. eCollection 2023.
Although stakeholder collaboration is key for sustainable development of tourism in small islands, research on its determinants is only emerging. The lack of empirical studies hampers an understanding of how effective stakeholder partnerships for sustainability in small tourism islands can be formed and sustained. To partially address this knowledge gap, this study explores stakeholder collaboration for solid waste management in the island of Koh Phayam, Thailand, from the perspective of stakeholder theory, social capital and proximity effect. Semi-structured interviews (n = 26) reveal a lack of understanding of collaboration benefits alongside leadership and reciprocity among stakeholders. However, due to geographical proximity, the level of stakeholder trust in each other is significant, thus indicating potential for future successful partnerships. For these partnerships to become effective, a system of financial incentives for stakeholders to separate and recycle solid waste in situ should be designed. To improve stakeholder communication and reciprocity, capacity building workshops and round tables can be organised. Municipal authorities should lead on solid waste management, and a steering committee comprising the representatives of all other stakeholders needs to be established to oversee the work of municipal authorities. Lastly, the feasibility of setting private public partnerships for solid waste management in Koh Phayam should be considered given the significant extent of knowledge and trust among local stakeholders. External stakeholders, such as farmers, can be involved in management of organic waste, thus extending the scope of partnerships for sustainability beyond the island.
尽管利益相关者合作是小岛屿旅游业可持续发展的关键，但关于其决定因素的研究才刚刚开始。缺乏实证研究阻碍了人们理解如何能够形成和维持可持续小岛屿旅游利益相关者伙伴关系的有效性。为了部分解决这一知识差距，本研究从利益相关者理论、社会资本和邻近效应的角度探讨了泰国帕岸岛固体废物管理中的利益相关者合作。半结构化访谈（n=26）揭示了利益相关者对合作效益的理解不足，以及利益相关者之间的领导力和相互回报的缺失。然而，由于地理位置的邻近，利益相关者之间相互信任的程度显著，这表明未来有成功合作的潜力。为了使这些伙伴关系取得成效，应该为利益相关者设计一个就地分离和回收固体废物的财务激励系统。为了改善利益相关者之间的沟通和相互回报，可以组织能力建设研讨会和圆桌会议。市政当局应主导固体废物管理工作，成立一个由所有其他利益相关者代表组成的指导委员会，监督市政当局的工作。最后，鉴于当地利益相关者之间存在大量的知识和信任，应该考虑在帕岸岛建立公私伙伴关系来管理固体废物的可行性。外部利益相关者，如农民，可以参与有机废物管理，从而将可持续性伙伴关系的范围扩大到岛屿之外。
