Strategic Innovation to Develop Integrated Sustainable Creative Tourism in Wat Thongnophakhun Community, Khlongsan District, Bangkok

Abstract

The purposes of this research were to 1. Investigate the potentials of Wat Thongnophakhun Community to develop integrated sustainable creative tourism with strategic innovation 2. Propose approaches to develop integrated sustainable creative tourism with strategic innovation in Wat Thongnophakhun Community, Khlongsan District, Bangkok. This research used qualitative method with the participatory action research (PAR). Data were collected from 32 key informants belonging to public sector, private sector, people, and tourists visiting Wat Thongnophakhun Community, Khlongsan District. Research Instruments were Community study checklists, tourism resource audit checklists and a structured in-depth interview and focus group form data were verified and analysed with triangulation and content analysis method

The study revealed that 1. Wat Thongnophakhun Community had remarkable natural and cultural tourism resource potential, an integrated sustainable tourism management potential, participation to develop tourism potential from the community the temple and the school and activity creation potential to raise environmental awareness and to develop people and tourist mind practice. 2. Approaches to develop creative tourism in this community with strategic innovation were to create 4 tourism brands with 4 brand positions: Brand No. 1: Experiencing Dhamma in nature at Wat Thongnophakhun with 2 strategic innovations: a fundamental way of merit making: transforming the village into a pleasant place to live in and adoptive co-management to preserve the environment. Brand No. 2: From Buddhist art to Buddhist cosmic law, mind practice with the threefold training using paradigm and value strategic innovation. Brand No. 3: Volunteer tourism, training food and temple art startup guides with community paradigm shift from capitalism economy to sufficient economy. Brand No. 4: Virtual Wat Thongnophakhun to make Thai Buddhist Temple known around the world, using 2 strategic innovations: Virtual Tourism and Augmented Reality Tourism.