The Potential of Phuket Province as a Creative City of Gastronomy

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the potential of Phuket Province as a Creative City of Gastronomy by analyzing three key dimensions: tourism management, creative activities, and competitive advantage through the lens of the VRIO framework. This research employs a qualitative methodology. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 13 key informants representing four key stakeholder groups: the public sector, the private sector, academia, and the community sector. The informants were purposively selected. Data collection was conducted through face-to-face interviews, with audio recordings and systematic transcription to ensure data accuracy and completeness. The data were analyzed using content analysis, focusing on synthesizing findings and interpreting the data.

The research findings reveal that in terms of tourism management, Phuket utilizes local food resources in ways that reflect cultural identity. However, the study reveals a lack of integration mechanisms and the absence of centralized food tourism database, hindering effective collaboration. In terms of creative activities, although there is a variety of food-related events such as cooking workshops and cultural activities connecting tourists with communities, these activities still lack continuity, systematic promotion, and long-term support from the government. Regarding competitive advantage, Phuket’s food resources are valuable, rare, and difficult to imitate according to the VRIO framework. However, they still require a management system that can enhance strategic and sustainable advantage. From the study, it can be concluded that Phuket Province has outstanding potential in maintaining and further developing its status as a Creative City of Gastronomy, especially when cultural capital, local identity, and creative experiences are integrated in ways that genuinely allow community participation. The researcher analyzed Phuket’s potential into five main aspects: the potential in cultural and experiential design, the potential in creative collaboration within the community, the potential in participation and authenticity, the potential in sustainability within the creative economy dimension, and the potential in systematic policy-based management. All of these reflect Phuket’s readiness to develop sustainable food tourism approaches that can create cultural value alongside while simultaneously enhancing culture value and promoting a strategically aligned and sustainable local economy.