แนวทางการพัฒนาแหล่งท่องเที่ยวเชิงอาหาร ย่านเมืองเก่าสงขลา

Abstract

Guidelines for the Development of Food Tourism in Songkhla’s Old Town research aims to observe the current situation from its tourists’ demands, business owners, government and private agencies related to tourism. It also studies and compares tourists’ behavior by gender, age, and income. All of which leads to possible solutions on developing food tourism within said area. This research will be a combination of quantitative research using surveys from tourists, and qualitative research using interviews from business owners, government and private agencies. All acquired information is presented in tables, which can also be analyzed then summarized as such: (1) Tourists usually come to relax and enjoy wide variety of exquisite food along with breathtaking atmosphere and pleasing views. On the other note, business owners and agencies find that restaurants, buildings, and street arts are key parts to attracting tourists, plus ease of transportation. (2) The behavior comparison by age, job, and income suggests a difference with a significance level of 0.05, while the comparison by gender shows no difference. (3) Possible resolutions for this development include: adding more food-related street arts, improving visibility within restaurants to create additional better photo spots, adding more toilets, parking spots, road signs, tour buses and guide, first aid stations, facilities for elders and disabled tourists, organizing local food festivals plus cooking and eating contests, making strategic marketing plans with cooperation between related agencies and local citizens, maintaining food hygiene and safety standards. Lastly, encouraging the local community and business owners to take part in developing food tourism.