Development of a Cultural and Traditional Tourism Supply Chain Management Model to Support Changing Behaviors in the New Normal for Sustainable Development Goals in Lamphun Province

Abstract

This article aims to 1) study the causal factors of the cultural and traditional tourism supply chain that respond to changing tourist behaviors in the New Normal era, 2) analyze the influence of cultural and traditional tourism supply chain factors on sustainable development outcomes, and 3) propose strategic guidelines for developing the cultural and traditional tourism supply chain to align with the new behaviors of tourists in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), using Lamphun Province as a case study. The study employed a mixed method of research design. Quantitative data were collected from 400 Thai tourists traveling in Lamphun Province, using non-probability sampling through the convenience sampling method. Qualitative data was obtained from seven key informants, including tourism entrepreneurs, community leaders, and government officials in Lamphun Province, through in-depth interviews. The research instruments included a demographic questionnaire, a five-point Likert scale questionnaire measuring key constructs such as cultural tourism supply chain factors, adaptive capacity, and sustainable development outcomes, and a semi-structured interview guide for qualitative data collection. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling (SEM), while qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis to identify themes and patterns supporting the quantitative findings.

The results revealed that cultural and traditional tourism supply chain factors had a positive influence on adaptive capacity, particularly through effective resource management, well-organized cultural activities, strategic marketing communication, and strong community networks. These factors also directly enhanced sustainable development outcomes in economic, social, and environmental dimensions. Adaptive capacity played a vital role in strengthening sustainability outcomes by promoting the use of appropriate technology, ensuring health and safety measures, and increasing flexibility in tourism activity planning. Moreover, adaptive capacity served as a mediating variable between cultural tourism supply chain factors and sustainable development outcomes, reinforcing the overall causal relationship between them. The findings suggest that an integrated and efficiently managed tourism supply chain, together with a high level of adaptive capacity, is a critical mechanism for advancing sustainable cultural tourism development in the New Normal context.