The problem and need in development of local guide potential for Mekong River community-based tourism, Khong Chiam District, Ubon Ratchathani Province

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to study the conditions, problems, and needs for the development of the potential of the local guide heirs for the Mekong River tourism community, Khong Chiam District, Ubon Ratchathani Province. Use qualitative research methods by choosing a specific sample and choose the tourism area of 2 communities, namely, Tha Long Village, Huai Phai Sub-district, Khong Chiam District, Ubon Ratchathani Province and the Sasom Village, Na Pho Khlang Sub-district, Khong Chiam District, Ubon Ratchathani Province by in-depth interviews with community leaders and involved parties which contains problems and needs in terms of language, academic, tour and problem solving of the heirs, a tour guide The research found that

1.The lack of language knowledge in the communication of the heirs of guides Although the Ban Tha Long area is in the northeastern region, but the language spoken in the community is Bru. Sometimes the local guide explains the information and the tourists do not understand in the local language. For Ban Somsom community, the tour guide can speak only the dialect or northeastern language causing tourists from different regions to not fully understand and guides in both communities are unable to communicate in English as a universal language due to the education of tour guides is relatively low, only in primary education and aged in both communities.

2.Academic knowledge or lack of academic knowledge in working, a local guide of both communities are elderly, so lack of academic knowledge to explain more to tourists. In addition to the existing data from self-learning makes it not interesting in new modern technology.

3.The courage to perform duties as a tour guide. Guide to both communities, when meeting tourists from different regions and well educated, most of them lack confidence in their duties causing the tour guide's duty to not be as effective as it should be.

4.The inability to solve problems that occur during the tour of the tour-guides in both communities in matters such as tourists have an accident while walking on tourist attractions. By liaison between communities and the tourists having accidents from the community's vehicle transportation resulting in a bad image for tourism.