Abstract:
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This study aimed to determine the components of Activity Uniqueness for Creative Tourism, consisting of three sub-components, namely Creative Activity, Create a Positive Distinctive Activity, and Five Sense Body and to find the relationship between the components and tourists’ perception of creative tourism activities. Activities of Thai cookery school course were focused on.
Presently, Thailand tourism emphasizes on promoting greater abstract images, such as Thailand: Land of Smile, Thainess, and Thai Hospitality. However, it still lacks Thai uniqueness, which is tourists’ preference, tangibility through travel experience, fun, and obtained knowledge. Examples are Thai cuisine, Thai herbs, Thai massages, excitement in natural adventure, perceived beliefs, cultures and traditions. In addition, various tourist attractions and activities in Thailand create tourists’ impression and distinct and new experience, promoting positive destination images, stimulating tourists’ demand for travel for great experience (Chang, 2014; Tourism Authority of Thailand, 2012; Tourism Authority of Thailand, 2013a).
Based on the study of image building, Hakinson (2004)’s study revealed that activity was one of the factors influencing tourists’ perceived image. In addition to the studies on the development of tourist attraction image for destination, few studies exploring uniqueness creation were discovered, especially the creation of unique activities. Uniqueness creation plays important role to tourist attraction image development. Uniqueness could be concretized to create unique activities for new experience and touch, learning, valuable experience for tourists to along with present behaviors of tourists who needs to avoid routinely repetitious daily life (UNWTO, 2014).
In this study, Uniqueness Theory was applied. Concepts and theories of Uniqueness or Consumers’ need for uniqueness (CNFU) were based on, consisting of three main components, namely 1) Creative choice counter-conformity 2) Unpopular choice counter-conformity, and 3) Avoidance of similarity. From the study of Tian, Bearden, and Hunter (2001), these three components were studied and they comprised of 31 items. In this study these 31 items were applied as well.
The aim of this research was to examine “Food Activity Uniqueness for Creative Tourism Development: A case study Chiang Mai, Thailand”. Two research questions were set and six hypotheses are proposed. Firstly, to study the relationship between the components of food activity uniqueness and tourists’ perception of creative tourism activities. Secondly, the opinions of foreign tourists on unique activity perception were examined.
Mixed Methods Research was used as the research methodology. For quantitative research, data were collected by distributing the questionnaires to tourists participating in Thai cookery school course in Chiang Mai, Thailand. A questionnaire was administered to guests and a total of 400 completed responses were collected. The data analysis was conducted by using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and a standard multiple regression method. For qualitative research, data were collected from 17 tourists participating in Thai cookery school course through in-depth interview to supplement the quantitative analysis.
Based on statistical analysis, new framework was developed Food Activity Uniqueness Model for Creative Tourism Development consisted of three main components, including 1) Destination (Authentic of locals and resources), 2) Tourist (two variables, namely Great lifetime Experience and Valuable) and 3) Creative and Innovative Activity (two variables, namely Leave society and norm and Emotional five senses).
In addition, the developed new framework could be applied as the guidelines to develop creative tourism and create other types of tourism activities.
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