SUSTAINABLE SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITY TOURISM ENTERPRISES IN KAENG KRACHAN DISTRICT, PHETCHABURI BY A DIGITAL PLATFORM

Abstract

The objectives of this research were to: 1) study and explore the service data of community enterprise tourism operators following the community lifestyle model in Kaeng Krachan District, Phetchaburi Province, 2) develop a digital platform to support the business operations of community enterprise tourism operators in the area and 3) evaluate the quality and efficiency of the developed digital platform. The research was used Mixed Methodology, sample was divided into three groups: 1) five community enterprise leaders in the area, selected using purposive sampling, 2) ten technology system development experts, selected using purposive sampling, and 3) 190 general users, selected using convenience sampling. The research instruments included in-depth interview guidelines and questionnaires to assess the quality and efficiency of the digital platform from the sample groups. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including mean and standard deviation. Initially, in-depth interviews were conducted with the community enterprise leaders to identify problems and information, which were then analyzed to design and plan the platform. Knowledge in management, digital marketing, and system development life cycle (SDLC) was applied, utilizing tools and programming languages such as PHP, Bootstrap, and MySQL database, along with UX/UI design principles. After the platform was developed, it was tested and evaluated for efficiency by technology system development experts and users. The developed digital platform had three user sections: visitors, users, and administrators, with functions to facilitate business operators and users in booking accommodations and activities. The evaluation results of the digital platform's quality and efficiency showed that the technology system development experts rated the overall quality and efficiency at a high level ("X" ̅ = 3.82) and the general users rated the overall quality and efficiency at a high level ("X" ̅ = 3.95)