Strategic plan for sustainable Buddhist tourism development in Nakhon Pathom Province

Abstract

The research objectives were to create the development strategic plan for sustainable Buddhist tourism in Nakhon Pathom Province. The combination of qualitative and quantitative research was used as a method of the study. The sample groups in this research was 24 people who including government, private sector and local communities. The qualitative data were collected from the in-depth interviews, focus group discussion, internal and external environment group discussion (SWOT analysis). The data were analyzed on the content and checked by triangulation. The quantitative data were analyzed on the collected from the questionnaire inquiring on the stakeholders who were experts including government, private sector, local communities and local tourist using for 400 samples. Statistics used to analyze data were percentage, mean and standard deviation. The research findings were as follow:

1. The development strategic plan for sustainable Buddhist tourism in Nakhon Pathom Province was “Nakhon Pathom will be Buddhist tourism center in the world, for spiritual awareness of cultural and mind, for Buddhist tourism standard and quality world-class in environmental conservation, for local economic development and sustainable community development model. It was contained with 4 strategic issues; 1) The Buddhist tourism development strategic plan for spiritual awareness of cultural preserved, 2) The Buddhist tourism development strategic plan for environment preserved, 3) The Buddhist tourism development strategic plan for local economic development and income communities and 4) The Buddhist tourism development strategic plan for sustainable community development model.

2. An assessment result of the development strategic plan for sustainable Buddhist tourism in Nakhon Pathom Province has the highest potential. Therefore, the results of the Buddhist tourism development strategic plan were appropriate to Nakhon Pathom Province that can lead to an action processes and increase the Buddhist tourism potential.