Sustainable Community-Based Tourism Resilience After the Covid-19 Pandemic of Ban Hua Aow Community, Sampran, Nakhon Pathom

Abstract

                The research aimed to study community – based tourism components of Ban Hua Aow community, Sampran, Nakhon Pathom and to study sustainable and strengthening community-based tourism resilience throughout the COVID–19 pandemic and beyond of Ban Hua Aow community, Sampran, Nakhon Pathom. This research is qualitative research using phenomenological methods. The data were collected by group interview from 12 key informants by purposive sampling from tourism stakeholders in the Ban Hua Aow community. Its instrument used for data collection include: in-depth interview and do a thematic analysis.

                The results indicated as follows; Ban Hua Ao community had community – based tourism components that were: natural tourism resources and cultural aspect that emphasized organic farming, lifestyles that relied on nature; community aspect, local people formed a group of Ban Hua Aow Organic Agriculture Community Enterprise with Ban Hua Aow Organic Agriculture Learning Center was the center of Ban Hua Aow community – based tourism; management aspect, the community was managed by the village committee, there were criteria for joining organic farming community enterprises have been established and the benefits of community-based tourism were managed; also, learning aspect, focusing on creating mutual learning among local people and tourists about organic farming according to the Sufficiency Agriculture Philosophy.

                The resilience of sustainable community-based tourism management after the COVID–19 situation of Ban Hua Aow communities found that local people have been cope with the COVID-19 situation effectively and promptly. They have followed and lock down themselves in their area but still carried on his own agriculture. For adaptation, they installed screening points, registration points, temperature measurement points and measured to wear a face mask at all times. Furthermore, they transformed the distribution of organic products by adding more online distribution channels, encouraged local people to take part in becoming a member of the organic farming community enterprise and raised awareness of hygiene and sanitation safety for them in preparation for the arrival of tourists.