Abstract:
Tourism industry, earning more than 20,000 million baht a year for the country, now is an important economic sector. And in order to effectively keep its development and promotion in the right and suitable direction, its policy and target are separately formulated in the national economic and social development planning. Prachuab Khirikhan is one of the Western Regions provinces is which there are abundance of tourism resources which are not fully exploited, deduced from present only few resorts which are well known and have a number of local tourists. Tourism development planning for Prachuab Khirikhan, therefore, is an indispensable device to efficiently promote tourism resources utilization, to augment the provinces, and at the mean time, the regions income. Besides, it is also conceived to curb national money outflow by diverting local tourists from out-bound travelling to having a vacation in domestic tourist attractions instead, as well as to attract international travelers to make a trip in Thailand and Western Region, one of significant targets set in the Fifth National Economic and Social: Development Plan (1982-1986). Essence in this A Study for Tourism Development Planning of Prachuab Khirikhan Province can be divided in to 5 major partsstudy of general physical, economic, social and population aspects, study of tourism market, study of tourism resources, study of basic infra-structure for tourism development and finally recommendations of tourism development guidelines. It is found out, from the study, that Prachuab Khirikhan Provinces geographical character is quite a conducive feature for tourism. Its eastern side of sea shore, stretching from north to south for more than 200 Kms., is enriched with numerous natural resorts of beautiful beaches. However, most tourists still know and are enchanted by tourist attractions in the northern part of the province, particularly Hua Hin beach. For the lower situated resorts, the number of travelers will be less. The biggest share of tourism market is local Thai holiday-makers of which 60 per cent come from Bangkok and have about 2.5days average length of stay. Foreigners, which are counted about 8 per cent of the total, will stay longer for about 7.4 days. About tourism resources, there are 33 tourist attractions, according to the field survey, of which most are natural features of beaches. And from the evaluation judged from examining the resorts readiness for tourists absorption and tourism value endowment, it is found out that most of tourist attractions with high development potentiality are agglomerated in Hua Hin Municipality area,where basic infra-structures for tourism development are mostly invested and developed, considered from quality of accommodation, systems of transportation, water supply, electricity, telephones, etc. After various aspects are integratedly examined, tourism development guidelines of the province are recommended that all tourist attractions be grouped into 3 zones of development which are the upper part of the province with Hua Hin beach and Khao Ta Kiap as the major resonts, the middle part with Prachuab Bay and Khao Chong Krachok as leading spots and the lower part with Ram Pung Bay as leading resort. First priority should be given to the upper part with the middle part the second and the lower part the last. About tourism market, local Thai travelers still are recommended as the main target and foreigners the minor one. And to upgrade or develop any tourist attractions, it has to give prime consideration to environmental harmony and conservation of natural character of the resorts all along.