Agritourism: Lessons Learned from Huai Sai Royal Development Study Center for Community-Based Tourism Development in Nakhon Phanom Province

Abstract

This academic article aims to extract lessons learned from the Huai Sai Royal Development Study Center in Phetchaburi Province and synthesize them into a model for developing community-based agritourism in Nakhon Phanom Province. The study compiled information from academic documents, research reports, and relevant statistics, along with field study visits to the Huai Sai Center, observations of various activities, and interviews with staff and experts in royal initiative development. The collected data were then analyzed through content analysis and synthesized into a conceptual framework. The study identified five success factors at the Huai Sai Center: development following the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy that prioritizes food security, innovation creation from local wisdom that adds value to products, circular resource management that utilizes space efficiently, community participation in all stages, and functioning as a living museum providing comprehensive learning. The article synthesized an "Agriculture-First, Tourism-Follows Model" consisting of five bases, which can be applied to target areas in Nakhon Phanom Province, particularly Tha Kho Subdistrict in Mueang Nakhon Phanom District, a community tourism destination that has received the Community-Based Tourism Standard from the Department of Tourism and possesses significant potential in the cultural identity of the ancient Marukanakorn city along the Mekong River. This model emphasizes building a strong agricultural foundation before integrating tourism to create added value and distribute income fairly to communities, which aligns with Nakhon Phanom Province's context characterized by ethnic and cultural diversity along the Mekong River.