Enhancing Tourism Potential to Drive Strategies and Promote Sustainable Tourism in Surat Thani Provincial Administrative Organization

Abstract

This research aims to: 1) study the tourism potential in Surat Thani Province, 2) analyze the tourism strategy management of Surat Thani Provincial Administrative Organization (PAO), and 3) investigate the relationship between tourism potential and the implementation of tourism strategies by Surat Thani PAO. The study employs a mixed-methods approach. For the quantitative research, a survey questionnaire was used to collect data from 400 samples, consisting of tourists, business operators, and personnel involved in tourism at Surat Thani PAO. Stratified random sampling and purposive sampling were applied. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including percentages, frequency, mean, standard deviation, and correlation coefficients. For the qualitative research, in-depth structured interviews were conducted with 9 key informants, and the data were analyzed using content analysis.

The results of the study revealed that: 1) The tourism potential of Surat Thani Province is high, with diverse and standardized tourist attractions that attract a large number of tourists from various groups. 2) Surat Thani PAO has effectively implemented tourism strategies, with a high level of efficiency, focusing on collaboration between the government and the community to offer diverse tourism experiences, leading to an increase in tourist numbers. 3) The relationship between tourism potential and the implementation of tourism strategies aligns with the proposed hypothesis. Particularly, the strategy of promoting tourism diversity to create added value and the development of land-based tourist attractions linked to marine tourism show a moderate relationship. Other strategies, such as promoting the province as a Smart City, improving transportation networks, supporting community-based tourism, and developing Surat Thani as a hub for land, water, and air tourism, showed a lower level of correlation.