COMMUNITY-BASED TOURISM MECHANISM NETWORKS: A FACTOR FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AT THE WORLD HERITAGE CORRIDOR IN THAILAND

Abstract

In 1991, the World Heritage Corridor, comprising Si Satchanalai, Sukhothai, and Kamphaeng Phet, was identified as a tourism strategy in Thailand. This project serves national economic targets outlined in the Twelfth National Economic and Social Development Plan (2017-2021) launched before the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The Sukhothai Creative City concept was influenced by the socioeconomic impact of tourism in 2019, especially community-based tourism (CBT). This research will explore local tourism relations to enhance social interaction and network efficiency by proposing guidelines to empower community networks for sustainable tourism management. According to social network analysis (SNA) by Gephi, an open-source network analysis and visualisation software package, results showed that community-based tourism and support mechanism networking occurred throughout. Informal relationships may enliven community enthusiasm and formalise support mechanisms through tourism clubs, public associations, and networks. These networks may also enhance government tourism organisations, especially Designated Area for Sustainable Tourism Administration (DASTA) 4, and local authorities by socially interacting through diverse relationships and attaining characteristic features of Thailand’s World Heritage Corridor.