Exploring the dynamics of Lampang’s horse carriages: a SWOT analysis for enhancing creative tourism

• Autorzy: Karapan Ratchapan , Sangkakorn Korawan , Krajangchom Sansanee , Thapatiwong Archabaramee , Susuwan Panot , Chokpiriyawat Thanuset

Identyfikatory

DOI

10.34659/eis.2025.94.3.1132

• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

This study investigates how to enhance creative tourism in Lampang, Thailand. The research integrates SWOT analysis and the TOWS matrix, using the horse carriage tradition as a case study. A qualitative methodology was employed, incorporating secondary data and fieldwork from May 2024 to October 2024. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews, focus groups, workshops, and participatory observation involving 10 key opinion leaders from diverse stakeholder groups. The SWOT analysis revealed robust historical continuity, significant organisational capacity, and high operational expertise as key internal strengths. Conversely, challenges such as an ageing workforce and the risk of knowledge loss were identified as critical internal weaknesses. In addition, the analysis elucidated a range of external opportunities and threats that further contextualise the strategic environment. These findings contributed to developing a TOWS matrix, which resulted in eight actionable strategic recommendations: Utilising heritage for branding and marketing, educational expansion, enhancing tourist experience through safety and education, maintenance and sustainability initiatives, youth engagement and workforce development, lowering costs for residents, knowledge preservation and documentation, and improving compliance and regulation, respectively. The integrated heritage branding approach demonstrates that aligning traditional cultural assets with modern strategic frameworks facilitates sustainable tourism development. This study contributes to the literature by providing a replicable model for balancing cultural preservation with economic growth in creative tourism.

Słowa kluczowe

EN

creative tourism; sustainable tourism; Lampang horse carriages; SWOT analysis

PL

turystyka kreatywna; zrównoważona turystyka; bryczki konne Lampang; analiza SWOT

• Wydawca: Polskie Stowarzyszenie Ekonomistów Środowiska i Zasobów Naturalnych
• Czasopismo: Economics and Environment
• Rocznik: 2025
• Tom: No. 3
• Strony: art. no. 1132
• Opis fizyczny: Bibliogr. 40 poz., fot., tab.

Twórcy

autor

Karapan Ratchapan

• Center of Tourism Research and Development, Menultidisciplinary Research Institute, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand

• https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7288-2941

autor

Sangkakorn Korawan

• Center of Tourism Research and Development, Multidisciplinary Research Institute, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand, 239 Huay Kaew Road, Suthep, Muang, Chiang Mai, Thailand

• https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7799-8046

autor

Krajangchom Sansanee

• Center of Tourism Research and Development, Multidisciplinary Research Institute, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand

• https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7799-8049

autor

Thapatiwong Archabaramee

• Faculty of Humanities, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand

• https://orcid.org/0009-0000-8969-849X

autor

Susuwan Panot

• Faculty of Mass Communication, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand

• https://orcid.org/0009-0000-2245-6226

autor

Chokpiriyawat Thanuset

• Faculty of Business Administration and Accountancy, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand

• https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2465-9657

Bibliografia

• Amloy, A., Wonglangka, W., Ounchanum, P., Ruangwitthayanusorn, S., Siriphon, A., & Oranratmanee, R. (2024). Agroecology, tourism, and community adaptability under UNESCO biosphere reserve: A case study of smallholders in northern Thailand. Sustainable Development, 32(5), 4428–4439. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.2919
• Aslan, I., Çınar, O., & Kumpikaitė, V. (2012). Creating strategies from tows matrix for strategic sustainable development of Kipaş group / darnaus vystymosi Kipas grupėje strategijų kūrimas remiantis ggss matrica. Journal of Business Economics and Management, 13(1), 95–110. https://doi.org/10.3846/16111699.2011.620134
• Carvalho, M., Kastenholz, E., & Carneiro, M. J. (2023). Co-creative tourism experiences – a conceptual framework and its application to food & wine tourism. Tourism Recreation Research, 48(5), 668–692. https://doi.org/10.1080/02508281.2021.1948719
• Chen, Y.-F., & Law, R. (2016). A Review of Research on Electronic Word-of-Mouth in Hospitality and Tourism Management. International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration, 17(4), 347–372. https://doi.org/10.1080/15256480.2016.1226150
• Chen, Z., Chen, X., & Mak, B. (2021). The hybrid discourse on creative tourism: Illuminating the value creation process. International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, 15(4), 547–564. Link: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCTHR-07-2020-0138
• Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative Inquiry & Research Design: Choosing among Five Approaches (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
• Dandage, R. V., Mantha, S. S., & Rane, S. B. (2019). Strategy development using TOWS matrix for international project risk management based on prioritization of risk categories. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 12(4), 1003–1029. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMPB-07-2018-0128
• Del Barrio-García, S., & Prados-Peña, M. B. (2019). Do brand authenticity and brand credibility facilitate brand equity? The case of heritage destination brand extension. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 13, 10–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2019.05.002
• Dewantara, M. H., Gardiner, S., & Jin, X. (2022). Travel vlog ecosystem in tourism digital marketing evolution: A narrative literature review. Current Issues in Tourism, 26(19), 3125–3139. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2022.2136568
• Duxbury, N., Bakas, F. E., Vinagre De Castro, T., & Silva, S. (2021). Creative Tourism Development Models towards Sustainable and Regenerative Tourism. Sustainability, 13(1), 2. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13010002
• Getz, D., & Robinson, R. N. S. (2014). “Foodies” and their travel preferences. Tourism Analysis, 19(6), 659–672. https://doi.org/10.3727/108354214X14116690097693
• Ghazinoory, S., Abdi, M., & Azadegan-Mehr, M. (2011). SWOT METHODOLOGY: A STATE-OF-THE-ART REVIEW FOR THE PAST, A FRAMEWORK FOR THE FUTURE / SSGG METODOLOGIJA: PRAEITIES IR ATEITIES ANALIZĖ. Journal of Business Economics and Management, 12(1), 24–48. https://doi.org/10.3846/16111699.2011.555358
• Guest, G., Bunce, A., & Johnson, L. (2006). How Many Interviews Are Enough?: An Experiment with Data Saturation and Variability. Field Methods, 18(1), 59–82. https://doi.org/10.1177/1525822X05279903
• Gürel, S., & Tat, M. (2017). SWOT Analysis: A Theoretical Review. The Journal of International Social Research, 10, 994–1006. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319367788_SWOT_Analysis_A_Theoretical_Review
• Hekmat, N. (2023). Health Tourism: SWOT analysis of the Algarve Region. [Master’s dissertation]. Universidade Portucalense.
• Herhausen, D., Miočević, D., Morgan, R. E., & Kleijnen, M. H. P. (2020). The digital marketing capabilities gap. Industrial Marketing Management, 90, 276–290. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2020.07.022
• Hutchison, K. (2010). Should They Go the Way of the Horse and Buggy-How the New York City Horse-Drawn Carriage Industry Has Survived Thirty Years of Operation. Animal Law Review, 17, 171. https://lawcommons.lclark.edu/alr/vol17/iss1/7
• Karapan, R., Sangkakorn, K., Krajangchom, S., & Jaroennet, S. (2022). Prototype development of a creative living space in lampang, northern Thailand. Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, 27(2), 1–21. https://jati.um.edu.my/index.php/jati/article/view/36522
• Lumbanraja, V., Kandias Saraan, M. I., & Moulita. (2025). Analysis of the impact of halal tourism policy on the development of natural resources and the economy of local communities in the Lake Toba Region. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1445(1), 012037. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1445/1/012037
• Mondal, M. S. H. (2017). SWOT analysis and strategies to develop sustainable tourism in Bangladesh. UTMS Journal of Economics, 8(2), 159–167. https://utmsjoe.mk/files/Vol.%208%20No.%202/UTMSJOE-2017-0802-07-Mondal.pdf
• Morgan, N., Pritchard, A., & Pride, R. (2011). Destination brands: Managing place reputation. Routledge.
• Morrison, A. M. (2023). Marketing and managing tourism destinations (3rd edition). New York: Routledge.
• Raji, M. A., Olodo, H. B., Oke, T. T., Addy W. A., Ofodile, O. C. & Oyewole, A. T. (2024). Digital marketing in tourism: a review of practices in the USA and Africa. International Journal of Applied Research in Social Sciences, 6(3), 393–408. https://doi.org/10.51594/ijarss.v6i3.896
• Navarro-Martínez, Z. M., Crespo, C. M., Hernández-Fernández, L., Ferro-Azcona, H., González-Díaz, S. P., & McLaughlin, R. J. (2020). Using SWOT analysis to support biodiversity and sustainable tourism in Caguanes National Park, Cuba. Ocean & Coastal Management, 193, 105188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2020.105188
• Olivadese, M., & Dindo, M. L. (2025). Ancient Wisdom in Modern Tourism: Sustainable Solutions from Greek and Roman Literature. Land, 14(1), 109. https://doi.org/10.3390/land14010109
• Oner, M., Cebeci, U., & Dogan, O. (2024). BSC-Based Digital Transformation Strategy Selection and Sensitivity Analysis. Mathematics, 12(2), 225. https://doi.org/10.3390/math12020225
• Phillips, W. J., Wolfe, K., Hodur, N., & Leistritz, F. L. (2013). Tourist Word of Mouth and Revisit Intentions to Rural Tourism Destinations: A Case of North Dakota, USA. International Journal of Tourism Research, 15(1), 93–104. https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.879
• Remoaldo, P., Ribeiro, V., Alves, J., Scalabrini, E. B., & Lopes, H. (2022). Challenges and Dilemmas of Creative Tourism in the 21st Century: How Can We Preserve It From the Massive Offer? In P. Remoaldo, J. Alves, & V. Ribeiro (Eds.), Creative Tourism and Sustainable Territories (pp. 223–236). Emerald Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80262-681-020221014
• Rianawati, A., Darmasetiawan, N. K., D’surya, F., & Bakhriansyah, B. A. (2024). Elevating Aquaculture in the East Java Region Through Innovation Strategies Using the Tows Matrix Approach. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Management (INSYMA), 21, 85-87. https://insyma.org/proceedings/items/show/182
• Richards, G. (2018). Cultural tourism: A review of recent research and trends. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 36, 12–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2018.03.005
• Shankar, V., Grewal, D., Sunder, S., Fossen, B., Peters, K., & Agarwal, A. (2022). Digital marketing communication in global marketplaces: A review of extant research, future directions, and potential approaches. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 39(2), 541–565. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2021.09.005
• Stoica, G. D., Andreiana, V.-A., Duica, M. C., Stefan, M.-C., Susanu, I. O., Coman, M. D., & Iancu, D. (2022). Perspectives for the Development of Sustainable Cultural Tourism. Sustainability, 14(9), 5678. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095678
• Afren, S. (2024). The role of digital marketing promoting tourism business: A study of use of the social media in promoting travel. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 21(1), 272–287. https://doi.org/10.30574/wjarr.2024.21.1.2668
• Suo, L., & Huang, Y. (2023). Brand Authenticity and Consumers’ Willingness to Recommend by Word-of-Mouth: The Mediating Effect of Brand Attachment. Humanities and Social Sciences, 16(4), 73–90. https://doi.org/10.14456/jcdr-hs.2023.36
• Surata, I. K., Sumartana, I. M., & Utama, I. G. B. R. (2024). The impact of cultural tourism on local traditions. JPPI (Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan Indonesia), 10(4), 672-683. https://doi.org/10.29210/020244780
• Tajidan, T., Sukardi, L., Padusung, & Fahrudin. (2024). The design strategy for the development of the west coast of Sumbawa Regency tourism area to support an increase in sustainable tourist visits. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1355(1), 012008. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1355/1/012008
• Taş Gürsoy, İ. (2020). Horse-drawn carriages: Sustainability at the nexus of human-animal interaction. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 28(2), 204–221. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2019.1671852
• Tovmasyan, G. (2020). Raising the Effectiveness of Tourism Marketing and Branding: Evidence from Armenia. Marketing and Management of Innovations, 1, 167–181. https://doi.org/10.21272/mmi.2020.1-13
• Weihrich, H. (1982). The TOWS matrix—A tool for situational analysis. Long Range Planning, 15(2), 54–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/0024-6301(82)90120-0
• Zhang, S., Hu, T., Zhang, T., Ju, H., & Wang, Y. (2025). Tourism Development of Cultural Heritage Resources Through Conservation Concepts: A Case Study of Ningxia, China. Land, 14(1), 201. https://doi.org/10.3390/land14010201