Possibility of the Health Tourism Development in the Form of the Creative Alternative Medicine in Ubon Ratchathani Province: A Case Study of Ban Kaset Puttana, Kum-Kwang Subdistrict, Warinchamrab District, Ubon Ratchathani Province

Abstract

The objectives of this research were 1) to study a model of the health tourism products in the form of the creative alternative medicine cooperating with the host communities, 2) to study possibility of the health tourism development in the form of the creative alternative medicine, and 3) to propose guidelines for developing health tourism in the form of the creative alternative medicine that was suitable for Ubon Ratchathani Province. In the study of the model of the health tourism products, the researchers used the mixed methods research by using the quantitative research with a questionnaire as a research instrument to survey the needs of the demand in a group of 245 samples who were tourists and traveled to Ubon Ratchathani Province. The samples were randomized by accidental sampling. The descriptive statistics were used to propose the collected data in the forms of mean, percentage, and standard deviation, and the quantitative research was used to search for the potential of the demand in the area. The data were collected by using the in-depth interview and the participatory action research The samples were selected by purposive sampling. They included 45 participants consisting of academic villagers, leaders and representative of the communities, staff from public hospitals, tourism entrepreneurs, representatives from non-toxic food networks, volunteer tourists, and mass media in Ubon Ratchathani Province.

            The research findings were as follows.

1. The communities had the tourism products related to the eight principles: Itthibaht 4, good food, good emotion, good weather, exercising, and lying down to get rid of toxicity. The tourism products could be arranged into 3 package tours: 1) a day trip, 2) two days and one night, and 3) three days and two nights. The cost of food and drink per tourist was 80 baht per meal, and the accommodation should cost 500 baht per night per tourist.
2. In the possibility, the findings showed that the communities had potential to be the health tourist attractions because they had organic food resources, learning resources for health care by using natural treatment, and tourist attractions that could be connected to health activities such as Wat Pha Kaset, the 46^th branch of Wat Pha Nong Pha Pong, Wat Pha Kaset Puttana Nuae, and flower gardens that could be places to arrange activities with the health tourism.
3. The important suggestions were that the human resources should be developed in the skills for both tour guides and greetings for people in the communities. In addition, the advertisements should be done in the tourisms for the communities continually by using the formal advertisement channels that the samples recommended. The formal advertisement channels included the internets, face to face to the service recipients done by the service providers, and the hospitals that supported the health tourism.