Challenges of the Tourism Management in Lampang and Lamphun: Queen Chammathevi's Pilgrimage Route

Abstract

The research aims to study the thematic cultural routes concept from the European Institute of Cultural Routes, and the cultural routes concept from the ICOMOS Charter on Cultural Routes 2008 and UNWTO’s cultural route which was publicized on UNWTO’s Global Report on Cultural Routes and Itineraries in 2015. Conceptual frameworks of cultural routes from these three major sources are tools to establish and manage the Queen Chammathevi’s Pilgrimage Route for the promotion of tourism and heritage conservation in Lamphun and Lampang. The route connected twenty seven attractions in both provinces based on the theme of Queen Chammathevi and her legend. The theme created value and significance for attractions and the route. It also introduced and construe identity of the route to visitors. Furthermore, the theme can attract tourists and trigger their curiosities to explore more story while they travelled along the route.

The study for establishing the Queen Chammathevi’s Pilgrimage Route also followed the Burra Charter process of investigations, decision and actions. Almost eighty five places which were appeared on documentaries and oral histories about Queen Chammathevi were identified and surveyed. Those places are in Lamphun, Lampang, Chiang Mai, and Tak. Information about the places was gathered and studied for having more understanding about them. Then, they were assessed for value and significance based on the Burra Charter concept of understanding heritage. Additional conceptual models of Competitive Destination Model and Cultural Significance Criteria for Entry in the Queensland Heritage Register are tools for assessing suitable attractions to be presented on the Queen Chammathevi’s Pilgrimage Route. The result after the assessment found twenty seven attractions that were suitable and value for putting on the route. The designing and planning of the route followed theories and models of traveling patterns, including Multi-destination Trip Pattern Model, Structure of Node, and Destination Region. These theories and models were integrated and analyzed for the formation of the route.

Queen Chammathevi’s Pilgrimage Route was presented to participants who joined focus groups in Lamphun and Lampang. The focus groups were organized in order to identify challenges and discover suitable actions to apply to heritage conservation and tourism management on the route. Three main challenges were discovered from focus groups and content analysis, including interpretation, sense of place, and managing the route. Strategies for actions and management plan of the route were recommended by implementation of cluster and network, tourism segmentation, tourist experience enchantment, creation of master plan, and route extension.

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