Phi Bung Tao: knowledge Management of Local Culture and Community-Based Tourism Management by Hai Tak Village, Lad Kang Subdistrict, Phu Ruea District, Loei Province

Abstract

This academic article aims to study the knowledge management of the Phi Bung Tao culture and the community-based tourism management of Hai Tak Village, Lad Khang Sub-district, Phu Ruea District, Loei Province. The study employed both documentary research and field data collection. The findings revealed that: 1) Knowledge management of the Phi Bung Tao culture consisted of four stages: (1) Knowledge Sharing, which involved sharing tacit and explicit knowledge through meetings, focus group discussions, and interviews, emphasizing dialogue-based exchange of information; (2) Knowledge Creation, through participatory processes of analysis, synthesis, and interpretation, resulting in collaboratively developed and disseminated sets of cultural knowledge; (3) Knowledge Application, by adapting the knowledge to relevant activities such as cultural communication, developing Phi Bung Tao mask products, and participating in the Phi Bung Tao parade in Loei Province; ensuring the transmission of cultural knowledge within the community. 2) Community-based tourism management was found to operate through a participatory approach led by community members, driven by the application of Phi Bung Tao cultural knowledge to enhance tourism capacity in four main areas: (1) Management—tourist coordination, program arrangement, safety management, and interpretation services; (2) Tourism Resources—development of knowledge and identity-based communication along tourism routes; (3) Tourism Activities—mask painting, local lifestyle tours on E-Taek vehicles, and the Song Nam Phra Buddha Nawabanphot ceremony; and (4) Community Participation—hospitality, collaboration in tourism management, and local resource stewardship. Regarding the integration of Phi Bung Tao cultural knowledge into cultural tourism, three models were identified: (1) the cultural tourism model of Hai Tak Village; (2) the experiential tourism model focusing on local lifestyle engagement; and (3) the natural-based tourism model emphasizing the village’s environment. All models of community-based tourism management highlight providing tourists with meaningful cultural experiences related to the Phi Bung Tao tradition, in accordance with seasonal appropriateness.