From Transit to Transformation: A Regenerative Framework for Evolving a World Heritage City into a Learning Destination: The Case of Ayutthaya

Abstract

This research aimed to: 1) analyze factors contributing to the short-stay city status of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya; 2) develop a regenerative tourism framework; 3) examine the potential of stakeholders; and 4) propose practical guidelines for transforming the city into a learning destination. A convergent mixed-methods design was employed. Quantitative data were collected via questionnaires from 400 tourists and analyzed using descriptive statistics and independent samples t-tests. Qualitative data were gathered through in-depth interviews with 16 key informants representing four stakeholder groups (government, private sector, community, and new entrepreneurs) and analyzed using content analysis. 

The findings revealed that: 1) Ayutthaya faces a significant short-stay syndrome  (75.00% of tourists are day-trippers), primarily driven by inadequate overnight infrastructure and a lack of night-time activities; 2) the developed regenerative framework comprises four pillars: participatory governance, transformative experience design, living heritage continuity, and a creative economy; 3) stakeholders possess strong cultural capital but lack integrated institutional mechanisms; and 4) key actionable recommendations include establishing a single command center, developing public transportation, and promoting a night-time economy, alongside shifting from volume-based metrics to net-positive community outcomes. These findings provide a strategic mechanism for transforming a World Heritage city away from mass tourism toward sustainable regeneration.