FOREST LANDSCAPE IN THE WATERSHED AREA OF NONG HAN: A STUDY OF CONTEXT AND CAPACITY BUILDING OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS IN COMMUNITY-BASED TOURISM MANAGEMENT, LOUB LAO COMMUNITY, LOUBLAO SUBDISTRICT, PHUPHAN DISTRICT, SAKON NAKHON PROVINCE

Abstract

This research paper was funded by a research grant for personnel. Sakon Nakhon Rajabhat University from the revenue budget for the fiscal year 2019 with an implementation period of 1 year and the development of research issues continues to the present. Qualitative Research Methods are used with the objectives of 1) to study the context of the tourism community, a case study of Loub Lao community, Loub Lao sub-district, Phuphan district, Sakon Nakhon province, and 2) to develop the capacity of community organizations in tourism management in a participatory manner and to prepare proposals to relevant agencies at the local level in order to create a plan to support the community after the research is completed by selecting a specific research area and collecting data from two parts: documentation and field data collection. Qualitative research tools include interviews, observations, and small group discussions to analyze descriptive data

The results showed that (1) Loub Lao Community, Loub Lao Sub-district; Phuphan District, Sakon Nakhon Province The main tourism resources are: 1) forest resources or community forests with a total area of more than 5,654 rai, 2) Wat Tham Saeng Khon, which has been a place of meditation for Buddhists both inside and outside the community for more than 61 years, 3) the development of organic farming and food processing to create food security and community product development, and 4) cultural identity that reflects cultural lifestyle through historical phenomena and stories, such as ancient wooden houses. (2) Developing the capacity of community organizations in participatory tourism management and making proposals to relevant agencies. It was found that there are community enterprises in the Community Rice and Biofertilizer Center Group. Moo 15 creates a common approach to tourism development, including 1) preparation to support tourism, such as a plan to create a community database to prepare a tourism guide, 2) media development under the page name "Ban Loub Lao Na Cha Community Enterprise Group" to disseminate community products or products. 3) Support for tourism development projects in collaboration with various agencies to continuously strengthen the capacity of the group, and 4) Development of market mechanisms such as places of sale of products and services, improvement of product quality. These elements reflect the community’s multidimensional assets—including natural resources, spiritual centers, an organic-based economy, and cultural identity—which contribute to its capacity for tourism management in terms of spatial governance, value creation through experiential engagement, and the design of activities that align with the socio-cultural context. Consequently, the community is able to further advance sustainable eco-cultural tourism development in a more resilient and meaningful manner.