Guidelines on Sustainable Tourism Development at The Lakha Community on The Banks of Damnoensaduak Canal in Samutsakhon and Ratchaburi Provinces

Abstract

The purposes of this research were 1) to study and compare Thai tourists’ behaviors in the community by demographic data 2) to study and compare the marketing mixed factors (7Ps) that tourists in the community focused by the demographic data 3) to study the opinions of the community on cooperation at the tourist destination development 4) to study the opinions of government officials in the community on the sustainable tourist attractions development in the area and 5) to formulate the guidelines on Sustainable Tourism Development that cooperated by the people in the community. The researcher used the mixed method that the questionnaires were collected from 385 Thai tourists in the area at 95% level of confidence. The data analysis based on the descriptive statistics: frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation and chi-square. The hypothesis testing was done with the Inferential Statistic: t-test, ANOVA and Scheffe method at the 0.05 level of statistical significance. The structured interview was used at 9 key informants in the community.

The result of the research was found that 1) the most visitors travel as the repeaters who received tourism information and advice from their friends. Their trip objectives were relaxing with their family and their travel time is between 8.00 – 11.00 AM and 14.01 – 17.00 PM. The travel expense per head per trip is less than 1,000 baht and most of the tourists used their private cars. The chi-square tests showed that the tourists with different personal factors of age, education and present residence have different travel behaviors. 2) the tourists focused much on Marketing Mix factors as a whole and on factors of personel, place or distribution, process, physical environment, price and product, but only medium emphasis on promotion factor. The hypothesis tested was found that tourists who had different personal factors of age, education and occupation had emphasis on difference factors on the Marketing Mixed Factors. 3) the community emphasises on planning, meeting, and formulating the regulations for the community in tourism. 4) government agencies in the area emphasis on nature conservation and tourist destination development plan formulation including how to maintain the qualities of the environment and the tourist satisfactions and especially spread the benefits throughout the community and 5) The guidelines on the development of the tourism in the area emphasis on the marketing mixed factors that tourists demand and the participation of the people in the community and most of all the government agencies should provide some regulation to preserve the quality of the attractions and services in the community. Furthermore, the budget for public relations and advertising activities should be supported by both the local authorities in the area and government agencies and also private sectors involved.