Attitudes of Hotel Entrepreneurs in Nakhon Phanom Municipality Area Toward Government Tourism Promotion Programs

Abstract

Nakhon Phanom Province is a secondary tourist destination experiencing rapid growth in tourism. The Provincial Development Plan (2023–2027) prioritizes tourism as a key strategic goal, with the Nakhon Phanom Municipality designated as a primary zone for several major tourism promotion programs. The municipal area also contains a high concentration of hotels. This research aims to investigate the benefits received and the attitudes of hotel entrepreneurs in the Nakhon Phanom Municipality towards government tourism promotion programs. Additionally, it examines operational guidelines and the adaptation of business strategies aligned with these tourism promotion programs. A mixed-methods research design was employed, incorporating documentary research, surveys, and interviews with 12 hotel entrepreneurs and 4 government agencies.

The findings reveal that hotel entrepreneurs generally maintain a positive attitude and a high level of satisfaction towards government tourism promotion programs, which correlates with higher occupancy rates of the hotels. Projects that yielded significantly higher occupancy rates resulted in increased satisfaction among entrepreneurs. However, large-scale hotels reported lower satisfaction levels compared to other segments, as they were more heavily impacted by fluctuating occupancy rates. Regarding public-private collaboration, significant limitations persist; only 4 of 12 case studies were members of tourism associations, which actively participate in meetings and provide recommendations to the public sectors. In terms of program effectiveness, initiatives highlighting local identity and uniqueness attracted more tourists than standard, repetitive event models organized across multiple provinces. Furthermore, the most prominent recommendation from hotel entrepreneurs was for government agencies to publicize event details as far in advance as possible

Based on the study, it is recommended that hotel entrepreneurs should generate in-house tourism activities to mitigate dependency on tourism promotion programs and diversify amenities and services to foster product differentiation and enhance pricing competitiveness. Furthermore, they need to adopt proactive strategies and build strategic partnerships with the public sector to ensure timely access to information and seamless preparation for upcoming government programs. Concurrently, government agencies should enhance the efficiency of their public relations channels by disseminating event details well in advance, thereby allowing the private sector sufficient time for strategic planning. The government should also promote active engagement from all parties concerned and restructure the programs with low occupancy by integrating unique destination identities to optimize their attractiveness.