AN ANALYSIS OF COMPONENTS IN ASSESSING TOURISM SITE POTENTIAL

Abstract

This research had the objectives to: 1) Analyze the number of components used to assess tourism site potential, 2) Categorize the components used to assess tourism site potential, and 3) Analyze the connection between the components used to assess tourism site potential and the established categories, classified by the specific types of tourism destinations. This study utilized a comprehensive documentary research methodology, which was conducted by analyzing 69 research articles from the two sources: the Google Scholar database and the Thailand Citation Index (TCI) database over the past 15 years from years 2010 to 2025. The collected data were analyzed using content analysis and descriptive statistics. The research findings revealed that: 1) The number of components commonly used to assess tourism site potential in Thailand ranged from 3 to 8 components. 2) The categorization of components used to assess tourism site potential, with the purpose to provide a clearer and more systematic scope, could be classified into 4 main categories. They are: 2.1) Resources within tourism destinations, 2.2) Readiness of facilities and services, 2.3) Management within the local communities, and 2.4) Environmental impacts. and 3) The analysis of the linkage between the elements and the established categories revealed that various tourist sites had utilized between two to four categories in evaluating their site potential. For instance, community-based and cultural sites commonly used three basic categories (i.e., resources, facilities, and community). Meanwhile, the natural and eco-tourism sites utilized all three aforementioned categories but also incorporated an assessment of environmental impact potential. The benefit of this research will help guide academics to clearly and more systematically understand the scope of tourist sites potential assessment in various contexts. In addition, this study will enable the practical application of knowledge in assessing site potential appropriately, while comprehensively aligning with the current tourism development trends.