Enhancing Local Herbal Learning Centers as a Knowledge Base for the Public and as a Mechanism to Support Community-based Health Tourism

Abstract

This research article is part of the project titled Innovative Community-based Health Tourism through the Development of Local Herbal Learning Center to Enhance the Learning Process of Health Literacy for the Public Tamot District, Phatthalung Province. The objective is to promote local herbal learning centers as community knowledge hubs and mechanisms to support community-based health tourism. The study employed Participatory Action Research (PAR) with 30–35 participants, including local residents, traditional wisdom teachers, village health volunteers, and members of local clubs. Activities were conducted at the Buddhist Agro-Ecological Farm in, Tamot District, Phatthalung Province. Key initiatives included the collection and propagation of rare local herbs such as Eurycoma longifolia (Pla Lai Phueak), and implementation of the Khok-Nong-Na land-use model to establish an herbal learning center grounded in local lifestyle and wisdom. Findings revealed that local herbal learning centers play a vital role in preserving indigenous knowledge, raising public health awareness, and promoting sustainable self-reliance. Community participation was crucial in developing learning media, organizing herbal compress workshops, and demonstrating practical uses of herbs for health. The community also exhibited strong potential for developing herbal products into health-oriented enterprises that generate income, especially through herbal compresses. The integration of the learning center with community-based health tourism showed effectiveness in enhancing health literacy and economic resilience.

The study recommends building networks among stakeholders, promoting active community roles, and linking with local health systems to create sustainable, health-oriented model communities. These efforts support the development of lifelong learning, conservation of local resources, and improved health behavior and attitudes—contributing to scalable models for other communities in the future.