Abstract:
The research purpose was to study the cultural tourism management and the environmental factors affecting the cultural tourism management as well as the study of the relationships between the environmental factors and the cultural tourism management in Chiya district, Surat Thani province and opinions and suggestions for the cultural tourism management in Chiya district, Surat Thani province. The research sample group was 400 people in Chiya district, Surat Thani province selected by the convenient sampling method. The instrument was the questionnaire and the statistics used to analyze that data were frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, t-test, F-test and Pearson correlation.
The findings were that most respondents were male between 25 - 44 years old. They got Bachelors Degree and worked as a farmer. They have been living in Chiya district, Surat Thani province over 20 years. The environmental factors affecting the cultural tourism management in Chiya district, Surat Thani province in overall and each aspect were in the neutral level. Their opinions towards the cultural tourism management in Chiya district, Surat Thani province in overall and each aspect were in the neutral level. When the data were classified according to the personal factors, there was a statistical significant difference at 0.05 for the cultural tourism management from age, educational background, career, social status, and duration living in Chiya district whereas gender and domicile was not found any differences. Age, career, social status, and duration living in Chiya district affected the opinions on the cultural tourism management differently. Educational background also affected the opinions on the cultural tourism management differently on the aspects of an important historical data collection, raising local people awareness, participation of local resources management, and management of tourists knowledge. They suggested that there should have a good organization of shops selling products, data distribution, and both public and private sectors should sustain local resources.