UNDERSTANDING AND GUIDELINES FOR ASSESSING TOURISM SITE POTENTIAL

Abstract

The objectives of this research were to: 1) Explore general information of research regarding tourism site potential assessment in Thailand, and 2) Analyze the advantages and limitations of the methods used in studying tourism site potential in Thailand. This research employed a documentary research methodology, selecting and analyzing research articles that studied or assessed tourism site potential in various contexts, published in academic journals over the past 15 years (2010 - 2025). A data recording form was utilized to collect essential information, such as research titles, study areas, sample groups or informants, data analysis methods, and research findings. The researcher collected data from two databases, Google Scholar and the Thai Journal Citation Index (TCI), to cross-verify information from both sources, using content analysis and descriptive statistics for interpretation. A total of 69 research papers met the specified criteria. The findings revealed that: 1) The majority of the research was conducted in the southern region and focused on community-based tourism site potential, primarily employing quantitative research methodologies and gathering data from diverse stakeholder groups. and 2) The analysis of advantages and limitations of the methods for studying tourism site potential found that each type of evaluator and assessment tool possessed different strengths and weaknesses depending on the specific context. The research indicates that no single assessment method is perfect. Therefore, researchers should adopt mixed or integrated methods involving a variety of informants and assessment tools, while refining these instruments to be flexible according to the local conditions of the area. Such an approach ensures that the assessment results are comprehensive, reliable, and capable of being effectively applied to actual area development.