Strategic Leadership, Innovation Management Capability, Government Policy Management, Social Capital and Network Management Affecting the Sustainability of Cultural Tourism in Chiang Mai Province
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: This study examined the levels and structural relationships of strategic leadership, innovation management capability, government policy management, network and social capital management, and sustainable cultural tourism in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand, and developed an integrated sustainability framework. A mixed-methods research design was employed. Quantitative data were collected through questionnaires administered to 400 stakeholders involved in cultural tourism and analyzed using descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling (SEM). Qualitative data were obtained through in-depth interviews with 20 purposively selected informants representing tourism networks, government agencies, private enterprises, and civil society. The findings indicated high to very high levels across all five constructs. The adjusted structural model demonstrated acceptable fit with the empirical data (χ² = 121.035, df = 101, p = .085, RMSEA = .022, CFI = .99). Government policy management (β = .43) and strategic leadership (β = .21) showed statistically significant positive direct relationships with sustainable cultural tourism. Although network and social capital management exhibited a positive coefficient (β = .25), its direct relationship was not statistically significant (t = 1.23). The model explained 90%, 92%, and 74% of the variance in innovation management capability, network and social capital management, and sustainable cultural tourism, respectively. Qualitative findings highlighted the complementary roles of leadership, innovation, institutional support, and stakeholder collaboration. The resulting SIGCS framework emphasizes integrated governance and organizational capabilities as relevant conditions for cultural tourism sustainability. These findings offer practical implications for participatory policy development, innovation support, and coordinated destination management in Chiang Mai, while underscoring the need for independent model validation.
Institution: Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7221581470