Sustaining Coastal Cultural Tourism Through Community-Based Approaches: The Role of Heritage and Cultural Value

Coastal cultural tourism has emerged as a critical component of sustainable tourism development, particularly in communities where traditional livelihoods and cultural practices are closely tied to the maritime environment. As global tourism continues to expand, coastal communities face the dual challenge of promoting economic growth while preserving their unique cultural identities and social values [1]. In this context, cultural heritage (CH) tourism has evolved from a niche market to a pivotal strategy for sustainable regional development, offering opportunities to safeguard traditional practices while generating income for local residents. When heritage assets are effectively managed and local residents actively engage in their preservation, CH tourism can enhance economic resilience and foster community cohesion [2]. Community-based tourism (CBT) has gained recognition as a key approach for ensuring that tourism benefits are equitably distributed and that local communities retain control over their cultural and natural resources. Within coastal settings, CH functions not only as a tourism attraction but also as a foundation for local empowerment, learning, and identity formation. In low and middle-income countries, heritage-oriented CBT enables communities to diversify their economies while reinforcing cultural pride and identity [3]. The successful integration of heritage in CBT depends heavily on residents’ perceptions, valuation, and transmission of cultural knowledge to visitors [4].

Despite its potential, translating CH into sustainable tourism products presents significant challenges. Poorly managed heritage tourism initiatives may fail to generate long-term social and cultural benefits, and over-commercialization can undermine authenticity and diminish residents’ sense of ownership [5, 6]. Consequently, coastal communities need to engage in continuous processes of cultural learning (CL) understanding, interpreting, and adapting traditions in ways that preserve authenticity while accommodating tourism dynamics [7]. Integrating CL and cultural value (CV) into tourism management frameworks has been recognized as essential for sustaining CBT. Community-based heritage tourism models suggest that perceptions of cultural meaning, stakeholder engagement, and the use of digital tools can enhance community participation and long-term viability of heritage tourism [8, 9]. Community members’ understanding of cultural significance directly influences their participation in tourism activities, which subsequently affects sustainable tourism outcomes [10].

In Thailand, the government has increasingly promoted CBT under the Bio-Circular Green (BCG) Economy Model, emphasizing local participation and sustainable resource use [11]. Yet, most heritage tourism studies have focused on well-known historical cities or UNESCO-listed sites, leaving coastal villages relatively underexplored. Bang Saray Village in Chonburi Province represents a rich case of coastal CH, encompassing tangible and intangible assets such as traditional fishing practices, culinary traditions, cultural festivals, and social norms deeply embedded in the coastal way of life [12]. These cultural elements provide substantial potential for developing sustainable CBT that balances economic benefits with cultural preservation.

Understanding the mediating role of CH and CV in sustaining coastal tourism is critical. First, it reveals how heritage-based learning processes enhance community readiness and engagement in tourism [13]. Second, it highlights how residents’ perceptions of CV shape sustainable tourism practices [14]. Third, it provides empirical evidence on how incorporating cultural dimensions into tourism planning can improve both local livelihoods and cultural resilience [15]. This interplay aligns with the theoretical constructs of CH, CL, CV, and CBT, forming a comprehensive framework for understanding how heritage supports community-driven coastal tourism development. The significance of this study is threefold [16]. Theoretically, it extends the discourse on heritage-driven CBT by validating the interconnected roles of heritage, learning, and CV in a Thai coastal village context, contributing to global sustainable tourism literature [17]. Practically, it provides guidance for policymakers, local authorities, and tourism planners to implement inclusive strategies that enhance community capacity, foster cultural education, and promote sustainable development. Socially and culturally, it empowers communities to recognize their coastal CH not merely as a tourism resource but as a living legacy to be preserved and transmitted to future generations [18].

1.png

Figure 1. The diverse tourist attractions in Bang Saray from traditional fishing sites and local culinary experiences to cultural festivals

In conclusion, sustaining coastal cultural tourism through community-based approaches is a complex yet transformative process, requiring a balance between preservation and innovation. CH and CV act as pivotal mediators, ensuring that tourism remains authentic while generating tangible socio-economic benefits for local residents. As illustrated in Figure 1, the diverse tourist attractions in Bang Saray from traditional fishing sites and local culinary experiences to cultural festivals embody the village’s tangible and intangible heritage. These sites not only draw visitors but also serve as practical platforms for CL and community engagement. By focusing on Bang Saray Village, this study provides valuable insights into the practical and theoretical mechanisms through which coastal communities can leverage their heritage to achieve inclusive and sustainable tourism development in Thailand.

3.1 Research design and approach

This study employed a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design to test the hypothesized relationships among the constructs simultaneously. This design is suitable for examining the current perceptions of residents and stakeholders and testing the causal structural model using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS–SEM).

3.2 Population and sampling

According to the general rule of thumb for structural equation modeling (SEM), the minimum sample size should be at least ten times the number of observed variables. Since this study includes 28 observed variables, the minimum required sample size is 28 × 20 = 560 participants. The study applies both purposive sampling and convenience sampling methods. Purposive criteria ensured that only residents and stake holders living in Bang Saray Village, Chonburi Province, who had direct experience or involvement in community tourism activities and CH preservation, were included. Given the absence of a comprehensive sampling frame of all relevant stakeholders, convenience sampling was utilized to access participants through local community leaders and tourism networks, ensuring a representative sample of individuals actively involved in the coastal cultural context.

3.3 Data collection and ethics

3.3.1 Instrument development and measurement

The research instrument used in this study is a structured questionnaire consisting of four sections designed to measure the proposed constructs: (1) CBT, (2) CL and CV, (3) CH, and (4) SCT. All measurement items were initially developed from relevant literature and subsequently adapted to ensure contextual accuracy and relevance within the local setting of Bang Saray Village. To establish instrument validity and clarity, the questionnaire was reviewed by three experts in community tourism and cultural studies prior to the final data collection. Respondents were asked to rate all items using a five-point Likert scale, where 1 indicated "Strongly Disagree" and 5 indicated "Strongly Agree."

3.3.2 Data collection procedure

The key cultural and tourism sites of Bang Saray Village (Figure 3), including the designated Songkran festival area, served as the geographical focus for data collection. These areas represent the authentic setting where cultural interactions, learning processes, and tourism practices occur, providing the spatial foundation for interpreting the model’s results. Data were collected from the field by distributing the questionnaire directly to the selected participants who met the purposive sampling criteria (as detailed in Section 3.2).

3.png

Figure 3. Tourist attractions and Songkran festival areas in Bang Saray Subdistrict

3.3.3 Ethical compliance

The research protocol, including the data collection methods and participant consent procedures, received formal approval from the Ethics Committee in Human Research, Sripatum University Khonkaen Campus (No. SPUIRB-2025-058) on October 6, 2025. All steps were undertaken in full compliance with recognized international ethical guidelines for human research, including the Declaration of Helsinki, the CIOMS Guidelines, and the Belmont Report, ensuring voluntary participation, anonymity, and confidentiality of all respondent data.

The results of the SEM analysis reveal that CH plays a central and foundational role in shaping sustainable cultural tourism development in Bang Saray Village. As shown in Table 6, CH exerts a significant and positive influence on CBT and CL, as well as directly on SCT (p < 0.001). These findings underscore the importance of CH as a primary driver that initiates learning processes and participatory tourism practices within coastal communities [35, 36].

Specifically, the strong and significant paths from CH to CL indicate that when community members recognize and engage with their CH, it enhances collective learning related to local traditions, histories, and everyday cultural practices. This supports previous studies suggesting that heritage functions not merely as a tourism resource but as a catalyst for cultural awareness [37], identity formation, and intergenerational knowledge transmission [38, 39]. Through these learning processes, CH becomes embedded in everyday community practices rather than remaining a static attraction.

The findings further demonstrate that CL significantly influences both CV and CBT, indicating that learning activities such as participation in festivals, cultural storytelling, and the continuation of local traditions play a crucial role in transforming cultural knowledge into shared values and collective community action. Previous studies have shown that engagement in local CL enhances residents’ appreciation of cultural assets and increases their willingness to participate in tourism-related initiatives [37]. Consistent with these findings, empirical research conducted in Thai heritage destinations, including Phuket Old Town, demonstrates that CL experiences—particularly those related to traditional cuisine and everyday cultural practices—strengthen local identity and cultural pride, thereby supporting CBT development [39, 40].

In addition, CV was found to have a significant positive effect on both CBT and SCT, highlighting its mediating role between CL processes and sustainable tourism outcomes. When community members internalize shared CVs through learning experiences, they are more likely to support CBT initiatives and sustainable site development that emphasize authenticity and cultural integrity. This finding aligns with heritage-driven tourism models, which posit that culturally shared values serve as a key mechanism linking learning processes to long-term sustainable development outcomes [41, 42].

The significant effects of CBT on SCT confirm that community participation is a crucial pathway through which CH contributes to sustainable tourism site development. CBT provides an operational platform that translates CL and shared values into concrete tourism practices, such as local management, benefit-sharing, and culturally grounded interpretation. Consistent with previous SEM-based tourism studies, heritage-centered and participatory approaches were found to enhance community resilience, destination sustainability, and local economic outcomes [20, 43-45].

The explanatory power of the model is supported by the high R² values for the endogenous constructs (R² = 0.744–0.773), indicating that CH, CL, CV, and CBT jointly explain a substantial proportion of variance in SCT. Although the standardized path coefficients are relatively modest, the consistently high t-values and strong statistical significance suggest stable and meaningful relationships within the proposed framework [46, 47].

Overall, the results confirm that CH influences sustainable tourism development both directly and indirectly, primarily through its effects on CL and CBT, with CV acting as a downstream mechanism that reinforces sustainability outcomes. This integrated pathway reinforces the theoretical proposition that heritage-driven tourism sustainability is not achieved through economic mechanisms alone, but through socially embedded processes of learning, shared values, and collective participation.

In summary, the findings empirically validate the interconnected roles of CH, CL, CV, and CBT in advancing SCT. The proposed model offers a holistic framework that highlights cultural preservation, community participation, and sustainability as mutually reinforcing dimensions of CBT in coastal contexts.

A key limitation of this study concerns the composition of the sample, particularly the representation of students within the respondent group. Although the proportion of student respondents was reduced and adjusted to better reflect community characteristics, students may not fully represent all active CBT stakeholders, such as tourism entrepreneurs, long-term residents, or local business operators. Their perceptions may differ in terms of direct economic involvement and decision-making authority in tourism development.

Nevertheless, in the context of coastal communities in Thailand, students often remain embedded within local social and cultural systems, participating in cultural festivals, family-based tourism activities, and community learning processes. Therefore, their perspectives still provide meaningful insights into CL and value formation at the community level. However, caution should be exercised when generalizing the findings to all CBT stakeholders. Future research should employ stratified or stakeholder-specific sampling strategies to ensure proportional representation of key CBT actors and to enhance the external validity of the findings.

For research articles with several authors, a short paragraph specifying their individual contributions must be provided. The following statements should be used “Conceptualization, D.T and S.A.; methodology, D.T and S.A.; software, W.K. and K.S.; validation, D.T. and J.L; formal analysis, S.A. and K.S.; investigation, J.L. and W.K.; resources, J.L.; data curation, D.T.; writing—original draft preparation, S.A. and W.K.; writing—review and editing, D.T and J.L.; visualization, D.T.; supervision, S.A. and K.S.; project administration, J.L.; funding acquisition, D.T. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Oral informed consent was obtained from all survey participants in October 2025 by the research team. The consent covered study participation, data use, and permission to publish anonymized results. Participants were assured of their anonymity, informed of the study’s purpose, data usage, and notified that no risks were involved.