The Quality Development of Ecotourist Attractions in Bangkhla, Chachoengsao Province

Abstract

          The study of quality development of ecotourist attractions in Bangkhla, Chachoengsao province research was to study tourists' behaviors and opinions toward ecotourist attraction. The purposes of this research were to study ecotourist attractions' quality and evaluate ecotourist attractions' quality and present the guidelines for ecotourist attraction quality development.  The samples were 400 Thai people who traveled around ecotourist attractions in the province and 5 stakeholders. A  questionnaire was used as a survey tool, and data were analyzed statistically using the percentage, means and standard deviation.   The questionnaire was validated by three expertsthe result of index of item objective  congruence (IOC) was equal to .981 and the reliability of Cronbach's Alpha Coefficient  was equal to .89 and a semi-structured interview form was used as quality method.

          Respondents mainly had high opinionin the availability of natural resources for being ecotourist attractions (   = 3.15), the community involvement and participation in tourism activities (   = 3.13), the utilization of  areas with sustainability (  = 2.92) the education and creation of ecotourism awareness (   = 2.69). The guidelines for ecotourist attraction quality development should be support tourism activities which give an opportunity to tourists to have experience with waterfront lifestyle,initiate local communities to participate in tourism management  from  the planning level. There should be development of tourism activities to achieve maximum benefit of tourism resources, promoting tourists to do activities with awareness, specification in visiting time and limitation tourist amount. The guidelines for ecotourist  attraction quality  development should be cooperation between local communities, public and private sector for the conservation and development of ecotourist attractions with sustainability.