The Development of Community Participation on the Management of Eco-cultural Tourism Sites at Phu Tao Pong, Ban Bueng Kum, Na Ho Sub-district, Dansai District, Loei Province

Abstract

      The purposes of this research were 1) to study the circumstance of eco and cultural participatory tourism management at Phu Tao Pong in Ban Beung Kum, Na Ho Sub-district, Dansai District, Loei Province, 2) to find the guidelines for eco and cultural participatory tourism management at Phu Tao Pong in Ban Beung Kum, Na Ho Sub-district, Dansai District, Loei Province, and 3) to try out the workshop on eco and cultural participatory tourism Management at Phu Tao Pong in Ban Beung Kum, Na Ho Sub-district, Dansai District, Loei Province. This research was a participatory research. The target group included 60 people who were related to Phu Tao Pong of Beung Kum Community. The findings revealed that 1) regarding the circumstance of eco and cultural participatory tourism management at Phu Tao Pong in Ban Beung Kum, Na Ho Sub-district, Dansai District, Loei Province, it consisted of 5 main problems in tourism management: 1) problems in sustainable tourism resource management, 2) problems in service management, 3) problems in marketing and public relation management, 4) problems in community participation in tourism management, and 5) problems related to tourism sites. Regarding the guidelines for eco and cultural participatory tourism management at Phu Tao Pong in Ban Beung Kum, Na Ho Sub-district, Dansai District, Loei Province, it was found that there were 5 areas for development: 1) the personnel development which could be done by providing workshop and field trip study at eco and cultural tourism sites, 2) service development, 3) product development for tourism, 4) marketing and public relation development, and 5) community participation development in tourism management. The results from finding the guidelines for community management and workshop on eco and cultural tourism management done by the research team showed that there was the need for the preparation for tourism management in terms of personnel development. This could be done by holding mutual understanding, field trip studying at eco and cultural tourism sites, training tour guides, and training how to take care of sick tourists. In addition, there was the needs for developing the administration system by establishing rules for tourists, improving tourism sites, developing the process of tourist reception, developing the tour guide’s services, developing tourism activities, developing income management, developing products for tourism, developing marketing and public relation, and developing community participation. Moreover, there should be trying out tourism management through the tryout activities and opening ceremony of the Phu Tao Pong tourism site. However, throughout the time of tourism management tryout, some problems still remained, such as the problem in the participation of community and government sections, the problem in the working team that had weakness and unclear roles, the problem in tourism management, and the problem in income management.