Development of Cultural Tourism Uthai Thani Province

Abstract

This research was aimed to study: 1) the level of cultural tourism and cultural identity, collaborative integration, provincial tourism policy, and potential of cultural tourist attractions. 2) the influence of cultural identity, collaborative integration, provincial tourism policy, and potential of cultural tourist attractions, that affect the development of cultural tourism in Uthai Thani, and, 3) the development approaches in development of cultural tourism in Uthai Thani. The mixed methods research, for quantitative research, the samplings were 360 tourists in Uthai Thani. The purposive sampling and data collection by questionnaire, the data analysis by descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling SEM. For qualitative research, the in-depth interviewing the key-informants who are knowledgeable in development administration for tourism directly 15 samplings form Local Alike Co. Ltd., and, Central Pattana Public Company Limited, by purposive sampling, to make the conclusion as inductive and present the qualitative data as descriptive combination with quantitative data.

The research findings suggested: 1) development of cultural tourism, cultural identity, collaborative integration, provincial tourism policy, and potential of cultural tourist attraction were in high level, 2) cultural identity influence as a whole to cultural tourism in high level, next below was collaborative integration, provincial tourism policy, and potential of cultural tourist attraction, 3) the approaches of development were: (1) the complete development of all tourism data base, (2) the complete revival of all tourism infrastructures and facilities, (3) the support in tourism goods and services, (4) the creation of tourism innovations, (5) increasing effectiveness in offensive tourism marketing, and (6) the collaborative integration between public and private sectors in tourist attractions and tourism personnel strengthening.