Guidelines for Festival Design to Enhance Creative Tourism in Thailand
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Abstract
The transformation of tourist behavior toward the pursuit of experiences has spurred the emergence of a new paradigm in creative tourism. However, academic knowledge regarding festival design that aligns with this concept remains limited. This research, therefore, aims to 1) study festival design in the context of creative tourism in Thailand, and 2) propose festival design guidelines to enhance creative tourism in Thailand. Employing a qualitative methodology with a phenomenological approach, data were collected through in-depth interviews with 17 key informants, supplemented by non-participant observation. The findings reveal that the structure of creative festival design comprises 3 interrelated dimensions: 1) personal design, 2) social design, and 3) physical design. Furthermore, the study synthesizes the 4Ps Festival Design Model for enhancing creative tourism, a strategic framework consisting of 4 processes: 1) Perception, 2) Partnership, 3) Production, and 4) Progression, with community participation as its core element. These findings suggest that festival design has been elevated to a strategic tool, holding significant implications for policy development by the public sector and for practical application by festival organizers to create sustainable value and experiences for both tourists and local communities.
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