THE STUDY OF CHARACTERISTICS OF WELLNESS TOURISM RESOURCES IN RANONG PROVINCE THAT MEET THE NEEDS OF THAI AND FOREIGN TOURISTS

Abstract

            This research aimed to study the characteristics of tourism resources suitable for health promotion in order to evaluate and classify health tourism destinations and create guidelines for designing routes and activities for health tourism in Ranong Province, as well as guidelines for the development of tourism resources for a health tourism city. This study was a mixed methodology research. The structured interview, an assessment form, and participatory action meetings were used to collect data from 73 key informants and snowballing samplings according to each research objectives.

          The result showed that there were 9 categories of appropriately tourism resources for health promotion including temples and health facilities, which can be classified according to health characteristics into 6 types, mostly concentrated in Muang district of Ranong province. Mentioned tourism resources could create 2 types of routes, models, and activities, which were: 1) Tourism for health promotion and disease prevention, which can be defined as “strengthening health route” , and 2) Tourism for maintaining and rehabilitating health, which can be defined as “Fuen-Rak Route”. Guidelines of tourism resource development were: 1) improve and increase tourism infrastructures, 2) develop tourism interpretation with technology and youth volunteers, 3) increase awareness and understanding, as well as provide training to people in the community, 4) reinforce the identity of health service and service standard in the same direction, while continually increasing service potential for staff and developing health products with outstanding local materials and resources, and 5) reinforce the tourism networks with private and public partnerships in Ranong province.