Proceedings of The 7th International Conference on Modern Research in Social Sciences
Year: 2023
DOI:
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Cultural Tourism Destination Competitiveness: A Case Study of Local Business In Sakon Nakhon, World Crafts City For Natural Indigo Dyeing
Upalat Korwatanasakul, Pim-Amorn Niyomkar
ABSTRACT:
This study examines the determinants of cultural tourism destination competitiveness and the impact of those attributes on local businesses’ competitiveness. The main estimation methods are principal component analysis (PCA), linear probability model (LPM), and ordered probit regression, utilising original firm-level survey data of 251 local business entrepreneurs in Sakon Nakhon, Thailand. The PCA summarises 37 key attributes of cultural tourism into three patterns, accounting for 75% of the total variance in cultural tourism destination competitiveness. The three patterns represent community’s cultural tourism planning (Factor 1), unique culture, physiography, and climate (Factor 2), and positive attitudes towards cultural tourism (Factor 3). The estimated results from the regressions manifest that Factors 1 and 2 are positively associated with perceived local business competitiveness. In contrast, the analyses pointed out the missing link between destination competitiveness and local firm competitiveness in terms of Factor 3. As the estimated effects of Factor 1 is greater than Factor 2, the results underscore the priority of the community’s active participation in the cultural tourism planning process and basic cultural tourism infrastructures, e.g. cultural and historical landscapes, educational institutions, medical care, and transportation, in promoting the competitiveness of cultural tourism destinations and their local businesses.
keywords: business competitiveness, community engagement, cultural tourism, destination competitiveness, World Crafts City