INVESTIGATION OF INFLUENCING GASTRONOMIC TOURISM “LOCAL ISAN SAUSAGE”, KHON KAEN, THAILAND

Abstract

The present study sought to analyze factors influencing gastronomic tourism “Local Isan Sausage” in terms of tourism products and tourists’ needs as crucial aspects for determining tourism strategies in neighborhoods of Mueang Kao Sub-district, Khon Kaen. It examined the characteristics of gastronomic tourism in relation to Isan sausages in Mueang Kao Sub-district, Khon Kaen. The sample of the study included 400 tourists visiting the neighborhoods of Mueang Kao Subdistrict, Khon Kaen. The results demonstrated that three factors, namely motivation for gastronomic tourism, the value chain for gastronomic tourism, and the Isan sausage product development, significantly affected the holistic gastronomic tourism development of local Isan sausages. The present study sheds light on the tourists’ needs in relation to gastronomic tourism in the neighborhoods of Mueang Kao Sub-district, Khon Kaen, and shows that the results derived from an analysis of tourists’ responses in questionnaires are reliable. Consequently, it offers suggestions for the improvement or adaptation in different aspects, such as Isan sausages, packaging, and distribution, and consistency with the tourists’ needs, enabling the locals to recognize the significance and value creation of the wisdom of local Isan cuisine in their own community.

Keywords

• gastronomic tourism
• isan sausage
• mueang kao
• isan local wisdom