ELEMENTS TO PROMOTE THE DEVELOPMENT OF BUDDHIST IN CHACHOENGSAO PROVINCE

Abstract

        This research article aims to study and develop the factors that promote Buddhist tourism, leading to the process of creating factors that support Buddhist tourism in Chachoengsao province. The research uses a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative and qualitative methods. The population consists of 397 local residents of Chachoengsao, selected through convenient sampling. Data analysis was conducted using statistical software for quantitative data, while qualitative data was collected through in-depth interviews with 12 experts, followed by content analysis. The research tools included questionnaires and interview guides, and the statistical techniques used were descriptive and inferential statistics.

The study's findings revealed that:

1. in terms of identity creation, the average score was the highest, followed by innovation creation and network creation, with all aspects rated at a high level.


2. Regarding the strategies for developing Buddhist tourism, in the area of identity creation, each temple has unique characteristics, emphasizing prominent identities in various dimensions to encourage tourists to return. In terms of innovation creation, new innovations using technology and social media are developed to meet tourist demands and stimulate repeat visits. Regarding network creation, most temples lack a tourism network due to limited budgets, lack of personnel, and insufficient support from government agencies. Local cooperation, such as from sub-district administrative organizations (SAOs) and local communities, is essential for organizing activities.


3. The process of development involves: 1) organizing meetings to thoroughly understand the problem through observation and interviews, 2) identifying problems that need to be addressed, 3) brainstorming new ideas to meet tourist needs, 4) developing and testing the "Temple Tour" application to assess user satisfaction, and 5) testing the design process to ensure the application meets user needs effectively.