Promoting Phetchaburi Tourism Using the Royal Projects Trail Tourism Application as a Main Tool

Abstract

Aware of the lack of tourism trial and marketing, this project aimed to develop a Phetchaburi Royal Projects Trail Application to accommodate convenience tourists’ information finding. It was hope that this application can be used as a main tool to promote Phetchaburi tourism. This project divided the study into 2 phases. Phase 1: A Royal Projects’ Trail application was developed based on primary and secondary data. It was designed to be easy to use and fit the mobile screen with simply functions. Phase 2: Using PAR (Participatory Action Research) techniques such as workshops to enhance tourism development stakeholders’ participation by providing opportunities for giving information and gaining knowledge about how to market tourism via mobile app. From the 3 workshops, there were a total of 113 cooperatives’ members from Cha-am District, Tayang District and Talard District attending the workshops. It can be concluded that to initiate networking among tourism stakeholders in Phetchaburi Province we should begin with the cooperatives organizations in the areas for public relation and coordination to their members because the majority of farmers in Phetchaburi are members of the local cooperatives. Members of the cooperative are voluntarily involved in activities recommended by the organization. In addition, every cooperative organizations in Phetchaburi working in coordination with others, therefore; starting the public relation of the mobile app to the three cooperative organizations is a good start to sustain the app by extending users to other cooperatives, sponsored the app and moving toward smart city and smart tourism destination.