Design and Development of a Gamified Mobile Application for Nakhon Pathom Community Ecotourism

บทคัดย่อ

          Gamification and mobile applications have been widely utilized across various sectors to enhance engagement, influence behavior, and improve outcomes. In the tourism industry, gamification and mobile applications have similarly been adopted to advance tourism marketing efforts. This study aimed to develop a gamified mobile application for community ecotourism and evaluate its appearance, functionality, usability, and user satisfaction. A mixed-methods approach was employed in the research. The sample comprised 30 ecotourism entrepreneurs and 400 tourists in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand. Data was collected through non-participant observation, in-depth interviews, and software evaluation questionnaires. Qualitative data were analyzed using triangulation, while quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The gamified mobile application was designed by a user interface (UI) designer and developed using a visual programming language with a non-relational cloud database. The application featured three main components, with user roles categorized into two groups: game masters (representing ecotourism entrepreneurs) and players (representing tourists). The game elements included points, badges, leaderboards, and feedback mechanisms. Technologies integrated into the application included QR codes, GPS, Google Maps API, and geo-fencing. The application's core functionality was centered on Google Maps' place markers, with each place marker containing gamified activities. Ecotourism entrepreneurs managed the game content and supported players, while tourists participated in the game by visiting locations, engaging in gamified activities, and providing feedback. The application underwent testing and evaluation by developers and users. The overall user evaluation results indicated high levels of satisfaction, with scores for appearance, functionality, usability, and overall user satisfaction averaging at a high level (   = 4.17, SD = 0.54). The findings suggest that the proposed gamified mobile application represents a viable solution to promote community ecotourism in Nakhon Pathom, effectively meeting the needs and expectations of tourists.