Developing local tourism through the design of an integrative local curriculum and implementing model: A case study from Surat Thani, Southern Thailand

This research studies how a local curriculum can support the development of local tourism and presents a case study from Southern Thailand. In particular, the objectives were to develop a local tourism-based curriculum and to propose a linkage model to implement for a school and stakeholders. Data were collected using the action research process which is well recognized for the establishment of local curricula. An extensive survey of published literature was undertaken, along with a field survey, semi-structured interviews, a focus group with 26 key informants, workshops, and observations. Key informants were purposely selected from stakeholders who were involved in the community’s education and tourism. The results indicated five types of specific local knowledge that met the content standards and objectives based on a linear approach strategy. The five types included sufficiency economy-based agriculture, traditional massage and herbal plants, blacksmithing, a local dance of Southern Thailand, called Nora-a cultural world heritage, and historical relics from the Srivijaya empire era found in an old temple. Furthermore, the research proposed a linkage model between the stakeholders in the design of the curriculum and local tourism development by illustrating the steering roles of the school, the public sector, and the university in a provincial area.