Development and Promotion of Community Tourism through the Public-Private Collaboration according to the Thailand’s Tourism Strategic: Case Study of the Communities in the Mun River Basin under the Lower Isan Tourism Development Area

Abstract

The objectives of this research were to: 1) to study the community tourism components and potentials of each community, and tourist attraction network to other destinations; 2) to analyze the environment of the civil state strategy and the Thailand’s Tourism Strategy which concerns tourism of the target areas; and 3) to integrate the civil state strategy and the Thailand’s Tourism Strategy in order to create the guideline for tourism development and promotion of the Mun River Basin Communities. Semi-Structured interview was used to collect useful information from 3 groups of purposive key informants, i.e., 1) government sector and state enterprise, 2) community, and 3) private sector and social enterprise. An analytic induction and SWOT analysis were used. The results of the study revealed that the each communities already had 4 tourism components, i.e., natural resources, local organization, management, and community-based learning. According to the Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration’s Thailand community based tourism development criteria, which is classified into 28 aims, it was found that Baan Prasat had potential in very high level (28 aims). Baan Bu Sai and Suk Somboon also had potential in very high level, and they are equal in potential (25 aims). The potential evaluation of Baan Japoh and Baan Sanuan Nok were equal (23 aims), and this was in high level. Baan Chi Tuan was in high potential level as well (20 aims). The last one, Baan Tha Sawang, had moderate potential. As to the attraction network, the locations of the communities and other attractions around were considered, and it was found that the communities had potential in building connection in tourism business, supported by the civil state, in both agricultural and agri product processing aspects. Furthermore, they provided spatial structure of the tourist attraction cooperation network between communities in form of tourism products of civil state business clusters; in this context, the communities served as tourist destination and one kind of tourism products as well. According to the environment or SWOT analysis of the civil state strategy and the Thailand’s Tourism Strategy, it was found that there were some aspects that can be integrated, i.e., marketing and management. The guidance of tourism development and promotion for the communities was divided in to 2 main strongholds. The first one was knowledge formation and social capital development for enhancing tourism network in the lower Isan civilization. Another one was marketing position for creating united identities of the Lower Isan Tourism Development Area.