COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN CREATIVE CULTURAL TOURISM MANAGEMENTA CASE STUDY OF UMCHAN SUBDISTRICT, PRAJAKSILPAKOM DISTRICT. UDON THANI THAILAND

Abstract

This research aims to obtain quantitative data on community participation in managing creative cultural tourism. The study seeks to determine the level of community involvement in organizing creative cultural tourism and explore their knowledge and understanding of the same.

The findings indicate that people in the Umchan Subdistrict, Prajaksilpakom District, Udon Thani Province, are involved in organizing creative cultural tourism in various aspects. This includes presenting ideas, planning, and decision-making, whereas operations and benefit-sharing, monitoring, and evaluation are at a low level. People in the community are willing to participate in managing tourist attractions. The community has the potential to develop creative cultural tourism and become a specialized tourist destination that is popular in the current world and will continue to follow future trends.

Most people in the Umchan Subdistrict have the same idea that cultural tourism is visiting temples, old places, traditions, and ways of life in the community. However, they still lack an understanding of what creative cultural tourism means.