Spiritual Folklore Tourism
Tourists’ Experience at Naga Cave in Thailand
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/firn.26830Keywords:
Naga Cave, Spiritual Tourism, Social Media, Thailand, Tourist ExperienceAbstract
This article highlights the importance of spiritual pilgrims’ pre-travel experiences and belief in the divine spirit to fulfil their spiritual journey. We explore the experiences of travellers who visited the Naga Cave and sought spiritual help to fulfil their desires. We used netnography to collect travellers’ stories to reveal the importance of seeking spiritual help and sharing experiences on Facebook to promote the sacredness of Phu Aue Lue and the Naga Cave. Some travellers cleanse their spirits before the trip using meditation, prayer, adhering to the five Buddhist precepts, and going vegetarian. Physical fitness is also crucial, as the 1,400 metres of the extremely taxing trail in the cave demands four to five hours of hiking. Spiritual tourism offers an opportunity for psychological recovery post-COVID-19, and spiritual destinations with folkloric overtones, such as the Naga Cave, are expected to increase in prominence among spiritual and general tourists due to their inherent healing properties. Additionally, the tourism authority may employ further marketing and promotional initiatives to promote Naga Cave as a sustainable tourist destination. The use of mass media for communication has been of interest in recent years, with studies examining the use of new media by individuals and the significance of Naga in Thai architectural and sculptural ornaments.
Downloads
References
Agarwal, Ruchi, and William J. Jones 2022 Social Media’s Role in the Changing Religious Landscape of Contemporary Bangkok. Religions 13(5): 421. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13050421
Bhalla, Rohan, Nimit Chowdhary and Aditya Ranjan 2021 Spiritual Tourism for Psychotherapeutic Healing Post-COVID-19. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing 38(8): 769–81. https://doi.org/10.1080/10548408.2021.1930630
Buhalis, Dimitrios, and Marie Foerste 2015 SoCoMo Marketing for Travel and Tourism: Empowering Co-creation of Value. Journal of Destination, Marketing & Management 4(3): 151–61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2015.04.001
Flanagin, Andrew J. 2005 IM Online: Instant Messaging Use among College Students. Communication Research 22: 175–87. https://doi.org/10.1080/00036810500206966
G Adventures 2021 Top 10 Travel Trends for 2022. G Adventures blog, December 22. https://www.gadventures.com/blog/top-10-travel-trends-2022/ (accessed March 9, 2022)
Katz, Elihu, Michael Gurevitch and Hadassah Haas 1973 On the Use of Mass Media for Important Things. American Sociological Review 38: 164–81. https://doi.org/10.2307/2094393
Katz, Elihu, Jay G. Blumler and Michael Gurevitch 1974 Utilization of Mass Communication by the Individual. In The Uses of Mass Communications: Current Perspectives on Gratifications Research, edited by Jay G. Blumler and Elihu Katz, 19–34. London: SAGE.
Kozinets, Robert V. 2002 The Field behind the Screen: Using Netnography for Marketing Research in Online Communities. Journal of Marketing Research 39(1): 61–72. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkr.39.1.61.18935
LaRose, Robert, Dana Mastro and Matthew S. Eastin 2001 Understanding Internet Usage: A Social-Cognitive Approach to Uses and Gratifications. Social Science Review 19(4): 395–413. https://doi.org/10.1177/089443930101900401
Leung, Louis 2001 College Student Motives for Chatting on ICQ. New Media & Society 3: 483–500. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614440122226209
Mariampolski, H. 2005 Ethnography for Marketers: A Guide to Consumer Immersion. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Norman, Alex 2012 The Varieties of the Spiritual Tourist Experience. Literature & Aesthetics 22(1): 20–37.
Pearce, Philip L. 2011 Tourist Behaviour and the Contemporary World. Bristol: Channel View Publications. https://doi.org/10.21832/9781845412234
Pearce, Philip L., Mao-Ying Wu, Manuela De Carlo and Andrea Rossi 2013 Contemporary Experiences of Chinese Tourists in Italy: An On-Site Analysis in Milan. Tourism Management Perspectives 7: 34–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2013.04.001
Phan Anh Tu 2007 The Signification of Naga in Thai Architectural and Sculptural Ornaments. The Asian Scholar 4. Bangkok: Asian Scholarship Foundation. http://www.asianscholarship.org/asf/ejourn/articles/Phan%20Anh%20Tu3.pdf (accessed January 12, 2022).
Pradhan, Biswajit 2001 The History of Naga Cult and Naga Festivals in Orissa. Proceedings of the Indian History Congress 62: 149–59. http://www.jstor.org/stable/44155757
Rageh, Ahmed, T. C. Melewar and Arch Woodside 2013 Using Netnography Research Method to Reveal the Underlying Dimensions of the Customer/Tourist Experience. Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal 16(2): 126–49. https://doi.org/10.1108/13522751311317558
Reisinger, Yvette 2006 Travel/Tourism: Spiritual Experiences. In Tourism Business Frontiers: Consumers, Products and Industry, edited by Dimitrios Buhalis and Carlos Costa, 148–56. London: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-7506-6377-9.50024-9
Spiggle, Susan 1994 Analysis and Interpretation of Qualitative Data in Consumer Research. Journal of Consumer Research 21(3): 491–503. https://doi.org/10.1086/209413
de Valck, Kristine, Gerrit H. van Bruggen and Berend Wierenga 2009 Virtual Communities: A Marketing Perspective. Decision Support Systems 47(3): 185–203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dss.2009.02.008
Newspaper and Online Sources
Butri, Pinn. MGR Online, September 10, 2020. https://mgronline.com/travel/detail/9630000092794 (accessed March 9, 2022).
Manager Online. https://mgronline.com/local/detail/9650000013064 (accessed February 13, 2022).
Naga Cave, National Park, Phu Langka. (n.d.). http://portal.dnp.go.th/Content/nationalpark?contentId=26481 (accessed March 9, 2022).
National Park, Phu Langka. Park.dnp.go.th. (n.d.). http://park.dnp.go.th/visitor/nationpark-show.php?PTA_CODE=9133 (accessed February 13, 2022).
Thairath. Thairath Online (February 6, 2022). https://www.thairath.co.th/news/local/north-east/2307785 (accessed March 9, 2022).
www.thairath.co.th. (2020, July 24). https://www.thairath.co.th/lifestyle/travel/thaitravel/1896444 (accessed March 9, 2022).
Tidroam. (2021, June 30). https://tidroam.com/naka-cave/ (accessed March 9, 2022).
Prachachat. (2022, February 9). https://www.prachachat.net/local-economy/news-861038 (accessed March 9, 2022).
Dailynews. (2021, November 18). https://www.dailynews.co.th/news/488340/ (accessed March 9, 2022).