‘Experiential Tourism Provides Tourists A Feel Of The Local Culture‘

Dr Sasithara Pichaichannarong, director general, officer of tourism development, ministry of tourism and sports, Thailand presents a view on Linking Tourism with ‘One Tambon One Product’ (OTOP) for sustainable development of tourism

According to the Sustainable Tourism - Eliminating poverty (ST-EP) Framework of the World Tourism Organization, sustainable tourism has been linked with poverty elimination. OTOP Tourism Villages are villages with community strength and produce quality products of three to five stars, one kind of product per one district. The community members voluntarily need to develop their villages linking their products with tourism sites in order to increase number of tourists, length of stay and more money spent. OTOP Tourism Villages are located on or near high potential tourism routes, with attractive atmosphere and interesting legends. The producing processes of products are unique and appropriate to demonstrate to target group of tourists.

Objectives of Establishing OTOP Tourism Villages

• To generate incomes for those communities producing OTOP products.
• To link the ways of life of local people with tourism sites nearby in order to increase competitiveness potentials, incomes and added values.
• To provide importance on understanding in producing process, appreciation in skills of Thai local people, local wisdom, value of local techniques.
• To elevate standards of products and services for tourists with hospitality, understanding, confidence in communication, honesty, cleanliness for nutrition products, facilitation and modernisation for transports and communication as well as punctual, accurate and reliable delivery services.

Concept

The development of tourism sites linking with OTOP tourism villages aims to increase the competitiveness potential in tourism. The tourism sites will be developed and linked with those tourism villages, which are product champions. The interesting process of production avails an opportunity for tourists to participate in demonstrating the production, as well as keeping the local ways of life with the identity of Thainess and diversity of each area. This is a means of marketing promotion of 'Experiential Tourism'. The 'Experiential Tourism' development gives importance on the participation of tourists in the ways of life of the local people living the tourism sites. Tourism sites and tourism villages with quality products are the target to be linked.

The 6 Ps are to be developed as follows:

1. Place infrastructure and landscape are to be improved such as building more toilets and rest areas, information centers with telephone/internet services, ATM machines, post offices, roads, direction signs as well as boards telling history of the communities or products, parking areas with shuttle vehicles (may be carts or bicycles) from the parking areas to tourism sites.

2. Products and services are to be diversified and elevated standards such as demonstrating producing process, folk cultural performance, delivery services, massage and much more.

3. People human resources are to be developed such as increasing skills in working, language, product design, work safety, providing services, administration in finance, marketing, environment.

4. Planning and management systematic planning, clear targets and indicators, integrated implementation among governmental, non-government and local authorities should be developed.

5. Presentation legends of villages and products are to be presented, displaying product designs and packaging, in an atmosphere of traditional ways of life.

6. Promotion marketing such as public relations on tourism sites, promotion to attract tourists to purchase more through travel agents or tourists themselves or even through advertisement.

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has planned to link tourism with OTOP in two pilot provinces of northern part of Thailand:

1. Baan Tawai in Chiang Mai - There are two groups in the community. The first one is developed with shops selling things to foreigners. Another one is along the canal, where people still have traditional ways of life, low potential and unskilled. It is necessary to link these two groups for sustainability of the community by using the 6 Ps.

An integration approach has been applied in working among governmental, non-governmental, private sectors and state enterprises (Tourism Authority of Thailand). For infrastructure development, we have been working with ministry of interior, for skill development, we have been working with Community Development Department and Export promotion Department. For marketing and promotion, Tourism Authority of Thailand has been working with Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) and Thai Hotels Association (THA). Familiarisation trips have been organised for tour operators in order to enhance marketing.

The Governor of Chiang Mai and local authorities have encouraged this project to be a pilot example showing the difference of the village where one side consists of quality products to world market but lacks Thainess, another side is a traditional community with expertise in wood craving but lacks administration skill in marketing. At present, there are many tourists coming to Baan Tawai, spending two hours on buying products, then going back. The improvement of services to tourists of Baan Tawai increases the number of tourists, spending longer time and more money on quality products, and learning more Thainess, while the local people earn more from the tourists.

Baan Mae Salong in Chiang Rai where Chinese immigrated from Yunnan 30 years ago is being considered an OTOP Tourism Village for health and relaxation to taste the best Oolong Tea in the world. Baan mae Salong is 700 years old. Chiang Saen was an important port town on Mekong River bank in the past. Thailand is going to develop Chiang Saen and Luang Phra Bang, to facilitate the land, air and boat transportation, to increase the number of tourists coming to visit the two cities.