Sustainable tourist destination brand image assessment case study of Mae Kam Pong community

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between attributes-holistic uniqueness: slow tourism, psychology: emotion and sustainable image in the context of community-based tourism. An image of tourism brand at present plays important roles in the construction of tourist attraction. An image of tourism brand is a marketing strategy which can make tourist attractions be successful. In the past, a study on an image of tourism brand put the importance on brand image as most viewed by tourists. The image measuring of community-based tourism at the local level can lead to sustainability.

However, academic are little interested in it. The aimed of this research to measure sustainable community-based tourism brand images as viewed by tourists and stakeholders in tourist attractions, following were research questions: 1) How is the relationship between the brand image based on the holistic- attributes of the tourist attractions towards the brand image based on the tourist attractions uniqueness: slow tourism of tourist attractions in Mae Kam Pong community? 2) How is the relationship between the brand image based on the tourist attractions uniqueness: slow tourism of the tourist attractions towards the brand image based on the psychology: emotion of tourist attractions in Mae Kam Pong community? 3) How is the relationship between the brand image based on the psychological: emotional towards the brand image based on the sustainable image of tourist attractions in Mae Kam Pong community? 4) How is the sustainable community – based tourism brand image as viewed by stakeholders?

This study employed mixed methodology (quantitative and qualitative researches). A quantitative approach involving survey of Thai tourist, in Mae Kam Pong village, Cheng Mai, Thailand from September 2017-February 2018. A survey questionnaire was administered to tourist and a total of 392 completed responses were collected. The data analyses performed using a standard multiple regression method. A qualitative approach involving survey of Thai stakeholder, in Mae Kam Pong from February 2018-March 2018. The in-depth interview was administered to stakeholder and a total of 30 completed responses were collected. The data analyses performed using content analysis.

The quantitative results indicate that the model of attribute-holistic was related positively to slow tourism, uniqueness slow tourism and psychology emotion, and emotion was positively related to natural sustainable. The qualitative finding demonstrate that natural resources and peaceful to relax accommodations are the highlight resource of Mae Kam Pong village. The village is the potential slow tourism and is sustainability of the cultural and natural by management system. The conceptual framework developed and tested in this study can be used as a guideline to enable an appropriate community-based marketing strategy that promote slow tourism and sustainable destination to be developed.