Policy recommendations for Thailand community-based tourism value creation

Abstract

The objectives of this study were: 1 ) to study the factors affecting Thailand community- based tourism value creation, 2) to study the causal relationship between factors affecting Thailand community-based tourism value creation, and 3) to propose policy recommendations for Thailand community- based tourism value creation. This study was conducted by studying related internal factors and relationships of all 5 aspects affecting the Thailand community-based tourism value creation based on the priority: 1) Community collaboration and participation, 2) Tourism location potential, 3) Income and benefits management, 4) Local resident potential, and 5) Community role and leadership. Structural equation model as well as confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis were used as the methodology. Data were collected from communities with tourism management in all 4 regions using sampling technique of Cohen (1988) with G* Power computer program. This yielded 60 tourism communities in the north region, 40 in the central region, 30 in the northeast region, and 21 in the south region, totaling 151 communities. Purposive Quota sampling was also used to select leaders and members of community organizations. From the research hypotheses testing, it was found that the community collaboration and participation and the community role and leadership were the only 2 factors affecting the Thailand community-based tourism value creation with statistical significance. However, the community collaboration and participation was the only one that directly affected. The community role and leadership indirectly affected through other factors that will contribute to the Thailand community-based tourism value creation. The findings would lead to policy recommendations for Thailand community-based tourism value creation as follows: 1) The process for creating collaboration and participation of the community cannot be achieved unless through the community role and leadership, 2) Thailand will need to focus on the process of continuously creating leaders through generations and strength. The community role and leadership continue to be the main force in driving the community success in the Thailand community-based tourism management further.