State and Needs for Health Tourism Integrated with Cultural Tourism and Thai wisdom Case Study of Ayutthaya Province: Stakeholders Perspective

Abstract

This research aimed to investigate the situation and needs of health tourism integrated with cultural tourism and Thai wisdom in Ayutthaya province. Using semi structured focus group discussions among three group of stakeholders. The instruments were examined content validity by experts. Data were analyzed by using the content analysis and, triangular methods.

The result revealed that at the present, there are no real substantial model of health tourism Integrated with cultural tourism and Thai wisdom. Additionally, they needed to see a good model of tourism that was cooperating from all relevant sectors, integrating with existing tourism, consistency with the context of lifestyle, preserving local wisdoms, promoting self-care knowledge, and generating income for the people in the community. Moreover, stakeholders needed to enhance to develop the model of health promotion tourism both by land and by water. Moreover, they suggested to divide the characteristics of health promotion tourism into 2 types which were (1) one day trip according to the topography of the area and, (2) home-stay trip so that clients had the option to use services. The Nurses and Multidisciplinary health care team should be play important roles in health promotion and transferring knowledge to the people who use the health tour.