The Development of Application for Tourism Activities in Phetchabun Geopark Based on Local Identity to Promote Creative Economy

Abstract

This research aimed (1) to develop a Phetchabun Geopark tourism application based on local identity for promoting creative economy tourism, (2) to evaluate the quality of the application, and (3) to study user satisfaction with the application. The sample group consisted of 40 participants from Sam Yaek, Yang Sao, Khok Prong, and Phu Nam Yod subdistricts in Wichian Buri District, Phetchabun Province, selected through purposive sampling, along with 5 experts. The research instruments included (1) the developed Phetchabun Geopark tourism application created using MIT App Inventor, (2) an application quality assessment form, and (3) a user satisfaction questionnaire. Data was analyzed using mean and standard deviation. The research findings indicated that (1) the developed tourism application based on local identity for creative economy tourism included several key features: a tourist destination selection menu, a question-and-answer menu about tourist attractions, geological information display, scientific information display, language switching, and a game menu. (2) The quality evaluation results showed that the application achieved a very good level of quality (mean = 4.60, SD = 0.51), indicating its practical usability. (3) The user satisfaction results revealed a good level of satisfaction (mean = 4.27, SD = 0.61).