Guidelines for Sustainable development of Buddhist tourism in Kalasin province

Abstract

This research aimed to study the current situation and propose guidelines for the sustainable development of Buddhist tourism in Kalasin Province. The study applied six-dimensional sustainable tourism management indicators, covering government administration, society, environment, economy, culture, and technology. It employed a quantitative research design, collecting data using questionnaires from a sample of 385 respondents, consisting of tourists, local residents, monks and religious personnel, local administrators and officers, and local entrepreneurs. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics, including frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, multiple correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis. The results revealed that 1)Stakeholders placed importance on development in all dimensions, with expectations for budget support, community income generation, waste management, cleanliness maintenance, promotion of local product markets, learning local lifestyles, and the use of social media for destination publicity reflecting their expectations for holistic development 2) The overall guidelines for sustainable Buddhist tourism development in Kalasin Province were at a high level. The dimensions of economy, culture, and technology ranked highest, and these three aspects had a statistically significant positive effect on sustainable Buddhist tourism at the 0.05 level. Meanwhile, social and environmental aspects showed no significant effects, while government administration had   a statistically significant negative effect. The key contribution from this study was the identification of economy, culture, and technology as the primary driving factors for sustainable Buddhist tourism development in Kalasin, whereas current government management practices remain obstacles to development. It suggests that the role and supportive strategies of government agencies need to be revised to better align with local needs and context.