COMMUNITY-BASED TOURISM DEVELOPMENT OF COMMUNITY TOURISM NETWORK THA SAMET SUB-DISTRICT, CHA-UAT DISTRICT, NAKHON SI THAMMARAT PROVINCE

Abstract

This research article aims to: 1) study the development of community-based tourism within the agricultural tourism network in Tha Samet Sub-district, Cha-uat District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, and 2) examine recommendations for the development of community-based tourism in the same area. The study employed a mixed-methods approach. For the quantitative aspect, data were collected using questionnaires with a sample group of 355 local residents of Tha Samet Sub-district. For the qualitative aspect, structured interviews were conducted with 25 key informants. Qualitative data were analyzed using descriptive techniques, while quantitative data were analyzed using statistics including percentage, mean (), and standard deviation (S.D.).The results revealed that the overall development of community-based tourism in the agricultural tourism network of Tha Samet Sub-district was rated at a high level ( = 4.14). When considering each aspect in descending order of mean scores, the highest was the creation of learning spaces ( = 4.70), followed by natural and cultural resources ( = 4.59), tourism site management ( = 4.10), and community income generation ( = 3.83). The lowest-rated aspect was community empowerment and benefit-sharing ( = 3.49). Recommendations for developing community-based tourism in Tha Samet Sub-district include integrating modern technology in tourism management, designing attractive product and service areas supported by online marketing, fostering a sense of collective ownership and equitable benefit-sharing among community members, promoting continuous learning, and establishing regulations to protect and restore natural and cultural resources for long-term sustainability.