Creative Tourism Models that Affect the Potential Development of Cultural Attractions in Chonburi Province

Abstract

This research aimed to investigate: (1) the creative tourism patterns of cultural attractions in Chonburi Province, (2) the tourism potential levels of these cultural attractions, and (3) the relationship between creative tourism patterns and their tourism potential. The study applied the conceptual framework of Creative Tourism based on the "3S Principles" (Stories, Senses, and Sophistication), along with the concept of tourism potential across four dimensions: tourism resources, services, management, and marketing. The sample comprised 400 tourists visiting 16 cultural attractions in Chonburi Province. Data were collected using questionnaires distributed via quota sampling based on the designated attractions and accidental sampling of voluntary tourists. The obtained data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis.

The findings revealed that tourists’ overall perceptions of creative tourism patterns were at a high level, with Sophistication receiving the highest mean score, followed by Senses and Stories, respectively. The overall tourism potential of these cultural attractions was also rated at a high level, with tourism resources scoring the highest. Multiple regression analysis showed that the model could explain 68.2% of the variance in tourism potential (R²= .682) at a statistical significance level of .05. Notably, two components of creative tourism—Senses (Beta = .359) and Sophistication (Beta = .472)—exerted a positive and significant influence on tourism potential, whereas Stories showed no statistically significant effect. These findings indicate that enhancing cultural attractions in Chonburi Province should emphasize experiential design, creative activity development, and the aesthetic presentation of cultural values through sensory engagement and refined interpretation in order to strengthen destination potential and long-term competitiveness.