The development of procedure to reinforce youth tourism world heritage in historic town of Sukhothai and associated historic towns

Abstract

Educational management must focus that all learners have potential in learning and self-development in which they are the most important components. Besides, the process of educational management must promote learners to be able to develop themselves naturally based on their potential. The objectives of this study were to: 1) synthesize the provision of knowledge about world heritage historical town of Sukhothai and associated historical towns by personnel of agencies concerning with world heritage tourism – historical town of Sukhothai and associated historical towns of the youths in Sukhothai and Kamphaeng Phet province; 3) explore needs for knowledge nourishment of the youths in Sukhothai and Kamphaeng Phet for the promotion of world heritage tourism – historical town of Sukhothai and associated historical towns; and 4) investigate a model of knowledge nourishment for the youths in Sukhothai and Kamphaeng Phet through multi partied participation. This study employed mixed research method comprising quantitative and qualitative research. Research instrument of the former was a set of questionnaires administered with 400 youths in Sukhothai old town district, Srisatchanalai old town, and Kamphaeng Phet old tow. Instruments of the latter were in-depth interview and focus group discussion; informants were 10 personnel of agencies concerning with world heritage tourism.

Results of the study revealed that most of the informants were female, 18 years old, upper – secondary school students, and they lived in Sukhothai province. Most of the informants had a score range of 60-100 in terms of knowledge about world heritage tourism – historical town of Sukhothai and associated historical towns. As a whole, they agreed to the world heritage tourism ( x = 4.02). Most of the informants wished to participate in activities of knowledge nourishment at a moderate level ( x = 3.38). The top three knowledge topics included: 1) building community unity for tourism development; 2) training on using English for tourism; and 3) elevation of service quality on tourism, respectively. The top three methods of the participation in tourism development activities were: 1) lecture presenting knowledge, ideas, and experience of resource persons; 2) a meeting for opinion and knowledge exchange in order to solve existing problems; and 3) educational tour. The training was conducted at a school and there were not more than 50 participants (a 3 days training).

The development of procedure to reinforce youth tourism world heritage in historic town of sukhothai and associated historic towns through the multi partied participation process consisted of 3 steps and 8 activities as follows: step 1 – a survey on needs for knowledge nourishment of the youths; steps 2 – construction of the knowledge nourishment process; and step 3 – developing continual knowledge nourishment activities. The following were 8 knowledge nourishment activities: 1) provision of knowledge to the youths; 2) assessment of knowledge of the youths; 3) comparison of needs for knowledge nourishment of the youths; 4) drafting a model of knowledge nourishment; 5) selecting the youths for the model testing; 6) testing the constructed model of knowledge nourishment; 7) follow up and assess results of the knowledge nourishment of the youths; and 8) continual improvement and development.