Abstract:
The research aimed to 1) Assess the potential of tourism activities along the
Bangpakong River, 2) Further develop the existing tourism activities, 3) Design new
tourism activities, and 4) Create a tourism activities plan along the Bangpakong River
for the entire year using participatory action research by design thinking. The research
instruments consisted of 1) a tourism activities survey, 2) in-depth interviews, 3) a
tourism activities along the Bangpakong River assessment form, and 4) tourist
questionnaires. All of the developing and designing work involved implementing the
design thinking process. The samples for the research were composed of 20 tourism
location executives participating in the in-depth interviews, five experts assessing the
potential of tourism activities, 20 stakeholders brainstorming, six experts assessing the
tourism activities prototypes, and 60 tourists providing tourism experiences and
examining tourism activities. Content analyses were used to analyse the data.
The results found that:
1. Tourism activities along the Bangpakong River had, by and large,
potentials in a middle level. Of the districts, Muang Chachoengsao had the highest
potential. The tourism activity with the highest potential was that of the Talad
Banmai Muang Paedriw community.
2. In further developing the existing tourism activities in the area of Muang
Chachoengsao district, cruising tourism activities could be enhanced by
interconnecting the districts local tourist attractions and religious places. The
tourism activities could be developed with a greater focus on the communitys way
of living as well as its art and culture.
3. In designing tourism activities in Bangpakong district, the events could be
designed as activities on a bicycle route for community tourism, tourism activities
following the communitys way of living, and the CSR tourism activities.
4. The Bangpakong River could be developed and designed to provide
tourism activities in combination with local traditional festival to attract tourists for
the entire year.