FACTORS AFFECTING THE PARTICIPATION OF LOCAL PEOPLE IN TOURISM DEVELOPMENT: A CASE STUDY OF KIEN GIANG PROVINCE

Abstract

Local people participation plays a decisive role in fast and sustainable tourism development, and the formation of community-based tourism models. Kien Giang province has many advantages to develop tourism and it is focusing on the development of community-based direction tourism. This research was carried out to analyze factors affecting the participation of people's tourism development. The study sample included 125 household representatives who were interviewed by questionnaire. The data were analyzed by Chi-square test and cross tabulation. The research results point out that 5 factors affecting the tourism development participation of people are 'people's capacity', 'encouragement of family', 'encouragement and support of the local authority', 'support and facilitation of destination management board', and 'road network'. This research contributes to supplement the theory of the people's participation in tourism development and the experimental knowledge to the locality in implementing policies/measures to attract the positive participation of people in tourism development.