Guidelines for the Sustainable Management of the World Heritage Site: The Ancient Town of Si Thep and Its Associated Dvaravati Monuments

Abstract

This qualitative research aimed to: 1) explore tourism resources, 2) investigate management potential, and 3) propose sustainable management guidelines for the World Heritage Site of the Ancient Town of Si Thep. Data were collected through documentary research, field surveys, and in-depth interviews with 30 key informants from four groups: the public sector, the private sector, local residents, and tourists. The findings revealed that the Ancient Town of Si Thep possesses outstanding cultural, historical, and natural tourism resources. Regarding management potential, whilst the local community exhibited high awareness, there was a notable lack of participation at the policy-making level. Furthermore, the private sector still lacked a distinct brand identity for international communication, and personnel required further training in foreign languages and digital technology. Based on these findings, the study proposes five guidelines for sustainable tourism management: 1) community participation, 2) sustainable development, 3) the establishment of safety standards, 4) marketing and branding, and 5) monitoring and evaluation.