Guidelines for Content Development and Communication Channels for the Ban Rong Plai Na Homestay Business, Mae Lao District, Chiang Rai Province

Abstract

The objective of this research was to study the guidelines for content development and communication channels for the Ban Rong Plai Na homestay business, Mae Lao district, Chiang Rai province by using qualitative research method. Data was collected by using in-depth interviews and observation, the providing informants were Communication Arts and New Media experts, Business Administration, Marketing and Modern Trade Management Academics and the homestay operator. The research results could be summarized as follows: Guidelines for communication development for the Ban Rong Plai Na homestay business, in the composition of the message content, they should communicate to the tourists by clearly showing the issues such as 1) Products or services that were unique and different from other villages which should use "Products/Services, Push on Homestay" strategy, 2) Creating stories or schedules of new creative activities in the village, 3) Presentation of localization, rural ways, folk wisdom that becoming the identity of this community, 4) Focus on art and culture issues including valuable traditions inherited from ancestors, 5) Presentation of beautiful atmosphere, shadiness and freshness of nature, 6) Presentation of cleanliness, tidiness within the community and accommodation, 7) Presentation about food, snacks and fruits with its freshness, cleanness and pesticide residue free and 8) Dissemination of announcements in which the homestay had received a Thai homestay standard award or other awards by presenting message combined with sales promotion, allowing members of the community to be aware of the community identity, planning and acknowledging mutual benefits to promote sustainable public relations and forming community communicators who were able to produce content and distribute it through communication technology channels. For communication development guidelines for the Ban Rong Plai Na homestay business, in the composition of the communication channels, the information should be disseminated through the mainstream media via television programs, such as community tourism program and documentary program while the print media, such as brochures and leaflet, etc. For new media, they should produce and distributed via Facebook which might have to pay to increase visibility rate of the target audience on the pages frequently while distributed through YouTube channels or other online media continuously almost every week and should outline stories the whole year. In addition, after presented stories about this homestay through the old media, it was possible to bring all the content or some parts to re-distribute via online media which was to build credibility and awareness among the target group. In addition, using reviewers to comment on products and services, telling and conveying stories about different aspects of the Baan Rong Plai Na homestay and finally created tourism trend including local media such as community radio or local newspapers that closed to Chiang Rai people because they were still searching for recreation from beautiful natural resources.