Strategic Plan for Sustainable Integrated Creative Southern Food Tourism Development in Surat thani

Abstract

This research had the objective to study the potential of the Southern integrated sustainable creative gastronomy tourism development in SuratThani for its strategic plan. This strategic plan was conducted in a pilot community as a case study and evaluated for the performance.The research samples consisted of 4 groups including government sector, private sector, tourist and people in SuratThani province which were totally 45 samples. The research was conducted by mixed research methods; qualitative and quantitative research. The qualitative research methods were performed by group discussion and interview to analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and obstacles (SWOT) and Participatory Action Research (PAR). The triangulation was used to indicate the content analysis. The research found that SuratThani had the potential in natural resources, services, learning activities and building awareness, community participation, tourists and stakeholders in sustainable food resource management. The strategic plan of the Southern integrated sustainable creative gastronomy tourism development in Surat Thani had the vision that Surat Thani will create a brand of Southern food and health food for the world in order to conserve Southern food culture and Thai food and develop the mind of the world citizen.Surat Thani will be also the food innopolis by using technology for food security for Thais and world citizen to driven the economy. Surat Thani will create an organic gastronomy tourism brand by quality nature and safety for tourist in order to save the world environment. Surat Thani will be a center for education and development of gastronomy tourism management with efficient and structured food management network in household, community and national levels to develop sustainable integrated Thai society. Surat Thani had the strategy and action plans to achieve the vision those were (1) Strategy for gastronomy tourism development for cultural preservation and mental development which had an action plan for culture, wisdom and community lifestyle conservation and mental development. (2) Strategy for gastronomy tourism development in Surat Thani for local economy development and distribute income to the community which had an action plan for gastronomy tourism marketing and food products and services development. (3)  Strategy for gastronomy tourism development in Surat Thani to conserve the environment sustainably which had an action plan for land-use-oriented tourism and food resource management. (4) Strategy for gastronomy tourism in Surat Thani to develop a sustainable community and society which had an action plan for creating a strong network and the distribution of income from tourism to the community. The evaluation of the strategic plan implementation in KlongNoi pilot community demonstrated that the community had developed gastronomy tourism by its own community led to a changing and perception to a sustainable tourism development.