Promoting the value of Lanna cultural heritage tourism resources for Thai youth tourists

Abstract

Due to loose of value of cultural heritage tourism resources, including the promoting of Thai youth tourist’ potential which they are one of the main target groups for cultural tourism of the Tourism Strategy 2015-2017 (Ministry of Tourism and Sports, 2015: 21), and the problem of number of Thai youth tourists visiting Lanna cultural heritage tourism site have decreased (Office of Strategic Management, Upper North Region 1, 2014 - 2017) including the importance of youth tourists market for the future as per the report of World Youth Student & Educational Travel Confederation, 2011, so this research aim to provide a guideline to promote the value of Lanna cultural heritage tourism resources in order to attracting Thai youth tourists to Lanna cultural heritage site by focused on three objectives. The first, to examine the value of Lanna cultural heritage tourism resources which it is important in the area. The second, to examine the factor influencing Thai youth tourists’ intention to visit Lanna cultural heritage site. And the third, to provide a guideline for promoting the value of Lanna cultural heritage tourism resources for Thai youth tourists.

Qualitative and quantitative approach were simultaneous conducted. Qualitative method was employed to examined the value of Lanna cultural heritage tourism resources which it is important in the area and based on in-depth interview with 11 respondents which comprise of representatives from tourism policy planners, private sectors, local residents and youths in community which conducted in four dimensions (components) (the cultural, physical, product and experiential values) of cultural heritage tourism resources in Wat Puak Tam community, where it is one of 6 groups nomination properties that considered a heritage zone in Chiang Mai.

Quantitative method approach based on questionnaires conducted from 500 Thai youth tourists 2 rounds (500 Thai youth tourists per round) in term of four dimensions (components) that mentioned above (the cultural, physical, product and experiential values) of cultural heritage site, internal and external factors for gaining how is the cultural heritage site should create the value of cultural heritage tourism resources in order to attracting more Thai youth tourist in terms of number and frequency. EFA were performed on Mplus for reducing the large set of variables into smaller indicators or factors and identify factors based-on the data provided. CFA was used to confirm the fit of hypothesized factor structure to the observed data.

The findings from data analysis found both of 2 components of the value of Lanna cultural heritage tourism resources, internal and external factors are consistent with the model set of factors influencing Thai youth tourist’s intention to visit Lanna cultural heritage site. This study also providing a guideline for promoting Lanna cultural heritage tourism resources for Thai youth tourists.