APPROACHES TO DEVELOP THE HERBAL CITY FOR HEALTH TOURISM IN CHANTHABURI PROVINCE

Abstract

     This research is a qualitative research with the objectives 1) to study the implementation of the health tourism development policy “Herbal City” in Chanthaburi Province; 2) to study the readiness of tourist attractions and tourism services for the health tourism destination “Herbal City” in Chanthaburi Province; and 3) to study the development and management guidelines for health tourism “Herbal City” in Chanthaburi Province. 23 key informants were divided into 3 groups, specifically selected from representatives of agencies involved in determining the herbal city policy (central level), representatives of agencies responsible for driving the herbal city policy (provincial level), and representatives of stakeholders in the herbal city policy. The data were collected using research tools consisting of in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. The data were analyzed using data classification methods.

     Results: 1) The implementation of health tourism development policies is still unclear. A health tourism committee should be established and integration between the public, private, and public sectors should be implemented to ensure concrete and sustainable implementation. 2) The readiness of tourist attractions and tourism services revealed that access to local facilities is available, while local cooperation remains unclear in terms of development. 3) The development and management guidelines for health tourism in the “Herbal City” revealed that clear roles in various sectors have been defined, community awareness has been raised, and a focus on sustainable health tourism development has been placed.

   Guidelines for developing a herbal city for health tourism in Chanthaburi Province include human, social, economic, natural resource, and environmental development processes, as well as local resource allocation. This includes self-reliance, participation, and community enterprises to generate income for local communities. Policy amendments are designed to facilitate implementation. Furthermore, appropriate and practical health tourism planning is in place for Chanthaburi Province. Policy and operational guidelines are established to drive the province's herbal city forward. Development efforts require the integration of multiple sectors, including the public, private, and network partners, to maximize efficiency.

   Conclusion: Policies and mechanisms should be established to drive the development of herbal cities for health tourism at all levels continuously. Public relations should be promoted to enable the public to access and respond to the policy. Herbal products should be developed into public and private health services.