Development of Creative Cultural Tourism Marketing Strategies with Historical Knowledge Base Among Four Upper Central Provinces of Chainat, Lopburi, Singburi, and Angthong for Extensive Accommodation of Quality Tourists

Abstract

The presented research was aimed at 1) exploring perceived cultural tourism resources, tourism behavior, and tourists’ demand for deciding to visit cultural tourism sites; 2) investigating tourism marketing strategies used by communities to manage cultural tourism; 3) analyzing the environment of cultural tourism sites with a historical knowledge base; and 4) proposing guidelines for developing creative cultural tourism marketing strategies with a historical knowledge base in four upper central provinces. It employed a quantitative research approach that included a total of 400 Thai tourists who were conveniently selected, using questionnaires for data collection and descriptive statistics for data analysis. A qualitative research approach was taken that included people involved in the management of community cultural tourism, community leaders, entrepreneurs, and people—altogether, 30 people who were purposely selected using interview forms and focus group discussions for data collection and descriptive statistics for data analysis.

Research results revealed the following: 1) Tourists reported perceived tourism resources at a moderate level; their tourism behaviors included traveling with their own car, a morning-evening round trip, no more than 2 days, 1-2 trips per year, 2-5 companions, vacation purposes, an expense of 5,000 baht on average, and a preference for visiting historical attractions with tourism information received from friends or relatives and siblings; the tourists’ demand for cultural tourism marketing mix was at a high level, ranked respectively as service staff and process, tourism resources, tourism marketing, and tourism activities. 2) The cultural tourism marketing strategies used by the community in the management of cultural tourism included cultural sites at the highest level, followed by tourism cooperation, tourism expense, tourism communication, and tourism convenience. 3) The environment of cultural tourism with a historical knowledge base was found to have strengths in having cultural tourism sites, having historical stories, having learning sources suitable for studies, and having distinct historical information. Weaknesses were found in the lack of budget, the lack of educated staff, the lack of readiness in tourism management, and the lack of knowledge and understanding about cultural tourism marketing. There were opportunities in having policies to promote cultural tourism, having cultural tourism sites, and having diverse forms of tourism. There were threats in the lack of amenities to support tourism. 4) Guidelines for developing cultural tourism marketing strategies in the four upper central provinces of Chainat, Lopburi, Singburi, and Angthong consisted of (1) a strategy for the management of tourism activities based on the historical stories about Queen Chamadevi and King Naresuan the Great; (2) a strategy for tourism cooperation; (3) a strategy for tourism communication; and (4) a strategy for tourism expenditure.