The Role of the Library in Cultural Tourism Sustainable Development (BCG Tourism): A Case Study of Wat Kaew Noi Community Museum and Utok Urban Heritage Museum in Phanat Nikhom District, Chon buri Province

Abstract

Burapha University Library has been allocated the academic service budget under the local economy and society driving projects after the COVID-19 pandemic with BCG economy (U2T FOR BCG) Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI). This enable to work with the community of Wat Luang and Wat Boat Sub-district, Phanat Nikhom District, Chonburi Province. The library has revealed that Phanat Nikhom is a community of cultural tourist attractions. There are cultural traditions, local wisdoms, ancient sites and ancient antiques, which are worth preserving for future generations. Therefore, the library held the development project of Wat Kaew Noi Community Museum and Utok Urban Heritage Museum, Phanat Nikhom District, Chonburi Province as a sustainable cultural tourism destination. The library met with community leaders to communicate for understanding, clarify objectives and organize various activities with the community including, schools, elderly clubs and temples. For example, For Wat Luang Sub-district, the library held training activities for earthworm raising workshops, young tour guide training, youth tour guide training, elderly training, “Hi-Tech Elder: The use of social media for the elderly to raise the level of community products”, participated in Bun Kong Khao tradition and cultural preservation activities “ Happiness canteen, full of merit, full of heart", held Wat Kaew Noi Community Museum Management Project and the project for promoting way of life learning and former local wisdom by availing Wat Kaew Noi Community Museum as a learning material. For Wat Boat Sub-district, the library participated in Khanom Krok alms giving ceremony, held an academic lecture project on community museum management in order to create knowledge, understanding and cooperation between the community and the library in jointly developing Wat Kaew Noi Museum and Utok Urban Heritage Museum, Phanat Nikhom District, Chonburi Province as cultural tourist attractions.

The results from conducting this project found that 1) Burapha University Library developed Wat Kaew Noi Community Museum and Utok Urban Heritage Museum, Phanat Nikhom District, Chonburi Province to become sustainable cultural tourism attractions by creating a digital database for both museums as a source of knowledge and history of the community through images, digital media archive, and digital learning resource for lifelong learning.  2) Children, youth, the elderly and people in Phanat Nikhom District, Chonburi Province gained knowledge about tourist attractions in terms of ancient sites, ancient antiques, way of life, traditions as well as art and culture of people in Phanat Nikhom District, Chonburi.