Community Participation in Tourist Attraction Management in Nang Loeng Area, Bangkok, Thailand

Abstract

This mixed method research studies the community participation in the management of tourist attractions in Nang Loeng area, Bangkok, Thailand. The objectives are to 1) study the level of community participation in the management of tourist attractions in Nang Loeng, Bangkok, Thailand 2) analyze the factors that promote and prevent the community participation in managing tourist attractions in Nang Loeng area, Bangkok, Thailand, and 3) propose the guidelines to increase the efficiency of community participation in managing tourist attractions in Nang Loeng area, Bangkok, Thailand. The sample are 225 people obtained by purposive sampling. A questionnaire is used as a research tool. Data are analyzed using descriptive statistics. The factors promote and prevent the efficiency of community participation in managing tourist attractions in the target area are studied by using a semi-structured interview. The participants in this part are 15 key informants gained by using purposive selection. The data are analyzed according to the study. The study reveals that 1) the opinions on the levels of community participation in the management of tourist attractions in Nang Loeng area, Bangkok, Thailand, are at high level in all aspects namely: the participation in decision making and planning, the participation in operation, the participation in benefit sharing, and the participation in monitoring and evaluation.  The aspect with the highest level of participation is in the operations (x ̅= 3.81) and the aspect with the lowest level of participation is in monitoring and evaluation (x ̅= 3.43). 2) The differences in age, education levels, occupations, and length of stay in the area differentiate the level of participation while the difference in gender does not affect the level of the participation. The participants' information perception is highly related to their participation in managing tourist attractions in the area   3) Factors that promote the community participation in managing tourist attractions in the area are cultural and historical ties of people in the community, perception of the tourism benefits to the community, having opportunity and channels for the community to participate in the management, and the support from governmental and private sectors. The factors that prevent the participation of the community are the lack of communication and coordination between various agencies, the distrustfulness and conflicts within the community, the lack of skills and knowledge in managing tourist attractions, and the lack of resources and financial support. The guidelines for managing tourist attractions are suggested as follow; setting up a joint committee between governmental agencies, private sectors, and the community to develop a tourist attraction management plan together, and the trainings in tourist attraction management skills for community members should be arranged.