Abstract:
This research aims 1) to study the situation and potential of the related tourism business surrounded hotsprings attractions in the upper northern provincial cluster; 2) to study the opinions of visitors using the service of the business around hotsprings attractions in the upper northern provincial cluster; and 3) to study economic returns of related tourism business surrounded hotsprings attractions in the upper northern provincial cluster; and 4) to propose the model of related tourism business surrounded hotsprings attractions in the upper northern provincial cluster. Sample groups were the entrepreneurs, or relevant managers or supervisors of related tourism business surrounded hotsprings attractions as well as the visitors that used the service of related tourism businesses. The research tools were observation, the structured interview form, questionnaire and focus group form. The researcher analyzed the data via frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, chi-square, and content analysis. The results showed that the spa business had excellent potential; The food and beverage business had moderate potential; Accommodation business had a good potential; Community-based tourism business had a very good potential; Other business had a good potential. The visitors perceived that the spa business operations were appropriate at the highest level. The other type of businesses were appropriate at high level. The highest economic return was the spa business, the business near the medium-sized hot spring or private managed hot spring. Besides, the model of related tourism business surrounding hot springs attractions in the upper northern provincial cluster consist of 1) Experience design of wellness, 2) Sustainability of eco local raw materials, 3) Potentiality from strategic development 4) Associate stakeholders by expanding the businesses in forward or backward integration.