OTOP Nawatwithi Sri-Sawat, Kanchanaburi
CULTURAL HERITAGE ANALYSIS AND POTENTIAL EVALUATION IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES FOR HERITAGE PRESERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
Based on the success of this well-established program, the Thai Department of Community Development is now aiming to expand its scope. While previously OTOP has been focused on the promotion of tangible local products, the new goal is to also feature the intangible aspects that are behind these traditional products.
A central means to achieving this more comprehensive aim is to extend the scope of the OTOP brand to include the traditions and ways of life that are at the origins of local products. As well-managed forms of sustainable tourism promise to be the best hope for keeping alive local customs while simultaneously offering economic prospects, this approach can connect preservation and development.
The province of Sri-Sawat, Kanchanaburi is well-suited for this kind of program. Home to the Erawan National Park and Waterfall, this province already attracts many tourists who are in search of natural beauty and tranquility. With the implementation of the more comprehensive OTOP approach, travelers’ experience of the region could be significantly deepened while at the same time improving the economic situation of local communities.
A prerequisite for such a strategy to succeed is a thorough understanding of local conditions as well as the close cooperation with the people of the local communities. As part of this effort, our team followed the invitation of the Department of Community Development to evaluate the potential for heritage preservation and sustainable tourism in four distinct communities in the region.
In order to come up with four strategies that reflect the unique cultural identity of each community, the ongoing planning process is heavily focused on dialogue with the communities. Their understanding of their identities as well as their ideas on what they have to offer to guests are taken as starting points for developing tourist experiences, itineraries and a community branding.
For example, when the people of Baan Plai Na Suan, one of the communities in Sri-Sawat, were asked to represent their way of life, a strong identification with their high skill in fabric production was evident. So far, their craft skills have helped them to sustain themselves through the sale of finished textile products. Going beyond the sale of tangible products, we see potential for establishing a craft-oriented homestay that allows guests to learn about the process of traditional textile production as well as experiencing their way of life and cultural landscape.
Another Community, Baan Mae Krabung, whose members are part of an ethnic minority that lives scattered around the border between Thailand and Myanmar, stands out through its strong cultural identity which is evident in their language, beliefs, architecture, crafts and foods. A promising option for them to offer tourists an insight into their way of life are agricultural homestays that connect cooking classes with participation in the sourcing of crucial ingredients like wild herbs.
These are just two examples for the potential of what kind of tourism the next stage of the OTOP program can bring to Nawatwithi Sri-Sawat. By making intangible cultural heritage accessible to tourists, a framework for appreciation of local customs can be created that is in harmony with the need for economic development. Ultimately the ambition is to not only bring financial resources to communities, but also to help them to sustain their ways of life.
