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Introduction
Sustainably managed cultural heritage tourism can be a means to improve livelihood opportunities and
promote the conservation of cultural attractions upon which tourism depends. The involvement of communities in
tourism development is being promoted worldwide especially in developing countries such as Thailand
(Cohen, 2001). The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO, 2011) states
that cultural heritage tourism can enhance, nurture, and revive cultural heritage. However, the benefits of tourism
at the community level can be undermined if the host community is not involved in the planning and management
of tourism. Given that different people have different ways of viewing the values associated with cultural heritage
in the context of tourism and heritage conservation, it is necessary to have broad public consultation and
involvement with emphasis on communities that are direfully affected by development (Cole, 2006;
Catibog-Sinha, 2010). Through genuine participation, the community members can be assured that their major
concerns and issues are addressed (Hardy & Beeton, 2001).
Archeological sites are popular cultural heritage attractions (Smith, 2009). Archaeological sites and the
artifacts found therein are important elements of a society’s past culture and histories (Renfrew, 2000).They have
symbolic, aesthetic, spiritual, historic, educational, research, and economic values (Mason & Avarani,2002).
These values provide both national and local public awareness and cultural pride and identity
.
Through sustainable tourism development, archeological sites can help generate local, national, and international
employments and revenues (Costin, 1991). All these values, both tangible and intangible, should be maintained
and enhanced for the present and future generations in order to promote local pride and identity, enhance
local economy, and increase public awareness on conservation.
Local perspectives especially of members of a community who are directly affected by tourism
development within a destination, where culturally valuable heritage such as archeological sites are located,
are necessary in tourism development. This paper focuses on what the local community living around and
adjacent to an archeological site feel about the importance of the site in relation to their way of life as well as
the benefits that they foresee if the site were to be developed as a cultural heritage tourist destination.
Sap Cham Pa Archaeological Site (henceforth SCAS) has interesting features and stories that could
attract cultural tourists. SCAS is located at Sap Cham Pa sub-district, east of Tha Luang district, about 80
kilometers from Lop Buri Province in the central region of Thailand. It is 350 rais in area and has an altitude of
160 meters above sea level. SCAS assumes the shape of an inverted heart (Lertrit, 2003). Two parallel layers of
moat structures, each 16 meters wide and 10 meters deep, surround the site. The moats are 20 meters apart, which
may have been built as physical barriers to protect the ancient city from enemies and intruders (Figure 1).
Some fragments of three small monuments are found in the site; these monuments are believed to have been used
for religious ceremonies (Lertrit, 2004).
