SERVICE POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT FOR HUMAN RESOURCE IN AGROTOURISM ATTRACTIONS: A CASE STUDY OF SUNFLOWER FIELDS IN PATTHANA NIKHOM DISTRICT, LOP BURI PROVINCE, THAILAND

Service potential development is essential for business because every organization needs well-adjusted, trained, and experienced people to perform its activities. Agrotourism industry is no exception. The purposes of this research were: (1) to identify problems faced by the stakeholders of the sunflower field agrotourism attractions in Patthana Nikhom District, Lop Buri Province, Thailand, and (2) to develop service potential of human resources of sunflower field agrotourism attractions in Patthana Nikhom District, Lop Buri Province, Thailand by using training. The samples chosen by purposive sampling were 10 local government administrators and 50 entrepreneurs directly benefiting from the sunflower field agrotourism and 400 tourists selected by accidental sampling at the attraction sites. The Mixed Method Research (MMR) was employed for data collection. This included a field study, in-depth interviews, focus groups, and questionnaires. After the problems and needs were identified, a training curriculum for the entrepreneurs based on the ADDIE Model was developed and implemented. The quantitative data were systematically analyzed by descriptive statistics (percentage and mean) and inferential statistics (t-test dependent and one group t-test). The qualitative data were analyzed by content analysis. Among the most serious problems encountered by the entrepreneurs were the lack of sunflower cultivation knowledge, poor personality and human relationship skills, poor services for tourists, unattractive products, and the lack of communication skills with non-Thai tourists, respectively. The pre- and post- test scores and the tourist questionnaire analysis proved the constructed training model effective and, therefore, had significant implications for agrotourism human resources development.