Potential of agriculture based destinations for developing creative tourism: A case study of Ko Lad E-Tan, Nakhon Pathom Province, Thailand

Abstract

 This study explored the potential of agriculture destinations in Ko Lad E-Tan, Nakhon Pathom Province which could be used to develop a creative tourism destination. Participatory research was used and the research objective was based on a desire from the local community to develop tourism in the area. Grounded theory was applied to collect intensive information. Semi-structured questions were used during in-depth interviews with fifteen stakeholders including local leaders, local people, government officers and entrepreneurs. The study found that agriculture based destinations have the potential for developing into creative tourism destinations if they have the strength of local human resources including the potential of opinion leaders and unity of the community. The effective learning and participatory process are the main techniques that can lead to long-term creative tourism activity management. The potential of generating creativity is also important element for developing creative tourism management. This includes the capacity of tourism resources, local actors and tourism networks to be used to develop creative tourism products and learning processes to produce creative experiences. These can produce effective creative experiences for tourists and benefits for local people as well. To date, no study has been published that investigates the potential of developing creative tourism in agriculture based destinations. Consequently, these research results can add a new perspective into developing creative tourism in agriculture based destinations and will ultimately develop a framework for how this can be implemented.