Guidelines for the Development of Community-Based Tourism in Ban Koh Lon, Phuket Province

Abstract

This research aimed to: 1) examine the perceived importance of community-based tourism components, 2) compare the levels of importance according to personal factors, and 3) identify development guidelines for community-based tourism in Ban Koh Lon, Phuket Province. A mixed-methods approach was applied, integrating both quantitative and qualitative methods. The sample comprised 206 residents of Ban Koh Lon, selected using simple random sampling. Data were collected through questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation), inferential statistics (independent samples t-test and one-way ANOVA), and content analysis.

The findings revealed that respondents rated the overall importance of community-based tourism components at a high level. Tourism activities received the highest mean score, followed by facilities, accessibility, accommodation, and tourist attractions, respectively. When comparing results by personal factors-age, income, education level, and occupation-statistically significant differences were found at the 0.05 level. Working-age respondents and those with higher education levels attached greater importance to tourism activities and facilities than other groups. Key development strategies include promoting activities that highlight local identity, improving and maintaining infrastructure, upgrading the quality of facilities and accommodations to meet standards, implementing proactive publicity measures, and establishing systematic mechanisms for local community participation to ensure sustainable economic, social, and cultural development.