Competency Development of Food Tourism in Thailand

Purpose: Food tourism has become great potential in the tourism industry, especially in Thailand. When foreign tourists come to travel and witness the diverse gastronomic experience at local levels, however, in 2022, Thailand received 11.15 million foreign tourists, and only 19.45% came because of food attractions. Therefore, this study aims to develop competency in food tourism in Thailand.   Theoretical Framework: This study examines and reviews the concepts of competitive advantage and food tourism. Competitiveness in terms of human resource is the ability to sell his or her ability over other competitor’s employees. Competitive Advantage in human resource is developed either by himself or by company attitude and resource. Competitive Advantage can be developed by (1) Elevating productivity, (2) Purposeful collaboration, (3) Learning Agility, (4) Social binding, (5) well- being. Moreover, food tourism is defined as “visitation to primary and secondary food producers, food festivals, restaurants and specific locations for which food tasting and/or experiencing the attributes of specialist food production region are the primary motivating factor for travel”. Food tourism is also defined as cultural turn from those early management-focused studies to more wholesome and exploratory discussions of food and culture. Not only did the frequency or volume of the studies significantly increase, but so did the variety of research approaches and concepts be explored.   Design/Methodology/Approach: This quantitative research collected data from food tourism stakeholders in Thailand 400, including foreign visitors, local visitors, restaurant owners, culinary academic institutions, and tourism authorities. Data were analyzed in descriptive and inferential statistics, and a structural equation model tested the hypothesis.   Findings: The findings reveal that (1) Tourism policy must include food tourism in the tourism event and public relation scheme of tourism authorities, (2) Unique local cultural experiences must be embedded into food stories, and (3) Nutrition and herbal nutrition must be presented for health-conscious tourists. The observed variables had component weights between 0.241 and 0.79. They were significantly different from zero at the 0.01 level. Latent variables were between 0.058 - 1.153, and 2) the harmonization of the hypothetical model and the empirical data found that all criteria were within the acceptable range (Pass) structural equation model analysis (Chi-Square = 44.113, df = 35, p = 0.139, RMSEA = 0.026, GFI = 0.026, AGFI = 0.960). Research Practical and Social Implication: Food tourism has become great potential in the tourism industry, especially in Thailand. When foreign tourists come to travel and witness the diverse gastronomic experience at local levels. However, in 2022, Thailand received 11.15 million foreign tourists; only 19.45% came because of food attractions. Therefore, this study aims to develop competency in food tourism in Thailand. This quantitative research collected data from food tourism stakeholders in Thailand 400, including foreign visitors, local visitors, restaurant owners, culinary academic institutions, and tourism authorities. Data were analyzed in descriptive and inferential statistics; a structural equation model tested the hypotheses.   Originality/Value: The findings reveal that (1) Tourism policy must include food tourism in the tourism event and public relation scheme of tourism authorities, (2) Unique local cultural experiences must be embedded into food stories, and (3) Nutrition and herbal nutrition must be presented for health-conscious tourists.