Koh Phi Phi: Moving Towards or Away from Sustainability?

This article examines tourism development and sustainability and whether this idea can truly exist in practice. Using the Theory of the Commons and Stakeholder Theory as a starting point, it is examined whether sustainable tourism is a true concept that can exist among stakeholders. The purpose of this research was to investigate stakeholders and their influence on achieving sustainability practices within an island tourism destination - Koh Phi Phi, Thailand. This topic was chosen owing to the importance of tourism to island economies and the idea that varying stakeholders (government, industry, non-governmental organizations, local community) can contribute collectively to moving towards sustainability. This paper reviews stakeholders' perceptions on the island of Koh Phi Phi, Thailand, after the tsunami of 2004 and examines whether a more sustainable tourism destination has been achieved in practice.