Cultural transmission of community-based tourism facilities in Thailand

Abstract

Community-based tourism (CBT) is a form of sustainable tourism involving
collaborative and inclusive attempts to offer quality and a peculiar local identity.
Tourism facilities in CBT are a component not only for service functions but also
for supporting knowledge transmission, yielding invaluable tour experiences,
and expressing an image of the host community. This paper explored an
approach of cultural transmission into the physical characteristics of tourism
facilities in Thailand’s CBT communities. Material for discussion was derived
from field studies with observation, interviews, and content analysis in two case
studies from within the first 14 role-model CBT communities supported by Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (public organization). Using symbolic meanings and local participation, this study found a creative move of the host communities to capture, interpret, and transform a key concept of their cultural heritage resources into a new form of public space for tourism facilities, thus providing specific tourism experiences. This practice suggests a way not only to develop cultural heritage and to sustain the cultural integrity of the community, but also to support creative CBT development.