BETONG: A POTENTIAL WELLNESS TOURISM DESTINATION IN THE DEEP SOUTH OF THAILAND

According to the world wellness tourism trend, Thailand has promoted wellness tourism to boost its competitiveness. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the potential of Betong district in Yala province to be a wellness destination in the deep south of Thailand serving both domestic and international tourists. This study applied qualitative analysis to primary and secondary data on tourists’ demand for wellness tourism services and the standard of wellness tourism services supplied in Betong. The findings revealed that Betong’s wellness tourism services, found to have high market potential, include gastronomy services, Betong hot springs, and historical and community-based tourism destinations. These indicated that Betong has the potential to become a wellness tourism destination. However, Betong has to develop new services like herbal tourism and halal tourism as well as creative tourism products and services to increase its competitiveness and achieve inclusive income distribution and sustainable growth.