The Participatory Development of a Cultural Tourist Attraction at LeamTukkae Sea Gypsy Village, Phuket Province

Abstract

Abstract

         This research on the participatory development of a cultural tourist attraction at Leam Tukkae Sea Gypsy Village in Phuket province aims at examining the tourism potentials of the village with local participation, as well as, proposing approaches to its tourism development and management. This participatory research is hoped to lead to an improved level of more concrete planning, policy formulation, and support from local governments. The research employed the Participatory Action Research (PAR) method with four participatory parties, namely the community, the researcher, the private sector and implementers from the local government. Several research techniques were used which included focus group interviews, participatory observations, documentation analysis and village public hearings. The findings highlighted the outstanding tourism potential of the village as an ethnic tourism attraction with the strengths of local ways of life, history, language, and cultural performance. Its weaknesses were the unreadiness of tourist facilities and its lack of human capital at the community level. Its opportunities involved the current tourism policies of governments with financial and site support, whereas its crucial threat was the non-continuity of public support from involved governmental agencies. This participatory research proposed 10 possible approaches to the community’s tourism development and management. These involved the management of facilities, services, revenues, partnerships, safety, marketing, human resources, local involvement, products, and, finally, architecture. The research proposes an approach to success with public, private and community partnership (PPCP).  

Keywords: Attraction Development, Cultural Tourism, Local Participation, Sea Gypsy, Phuket