The impacts of nature-based adventure tourism on children in a Thai village

• Positive impacts are well-being, sociocultural life and improvement in reserve protection.
• No evidence is found for the cultural disruption or prurient impacts on children.
• The leadership and the social cohesiveness of villages underlay its coping with tourism.
• The tourism benefits have outweighed the costs despite the high dependence on tourism activities.
• The village's homogeneity and the relationship with tourism entrepreneurs create empowerment.

We report on the introduction of nature-based adventure tourism into Ban Songpraek Village, Southern Thailand and its impacts on children. We find many positive benefits for village children with no evidence of cultural disruption or prurient impacts. The leadership and the social cohesiveness of villagers and their relationship with the village authorities and tourism entrepreneurs is a determining factor in the children's well-being. The villagers' understanding of tourism and its potential for negative and positive effects is an important determinant of this outcome. Consequently, tourism growth and the villagers' dependence on tourism activities are a vital concern to all village residents. Through their children, the villagers demonstrate that they are establishing the intergenerational resilience necessary to face these issues.