Factors affecting the economic impact for managing cycling cultural tourism route

Abstract

This study explores the factors that affect the economic impact of managing cycling cultural tourism routes. This quantitative study collected data from 433 visitors who visited Ban Chiang, a World Heritage site in Udonthani, Thailand. They were selected using the systematic sampling method. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied for data analysis. The study showed that the law factor, social context, and route characteristics directly and indirectly effect economic factors. These three factors positively influence economic impacts, such as well-being and increased income for low-income families.

Keywords:

• economic
• managing
• cycling
• cultural
• tourism route

1. Introduction

Many countries promote their culture as a tourism tools to create income to develop and improve the quality of life for their people (Bakogiannis et al., 2019). They try to create cultural routes to interpret the significance of cultural places (Topler, 2019). According to the European Council, the cultural routes program aims to demonstrate that Europe’s different countries and cultural heritage are a common cultural heritage and show the way to travel in time and space. The basic principles of the European Council are human rights, cultural democracy, cultural diversity and identity, dialogue, mutual exchange and enrichment that transcend time and space (Tanrisever, 2020). Cycling on the cultural route can express something hidden in the cultural resources at tourism sites, as the main objective is the development of an integrated strategic plan for the protection and promotion of cultural heritage through the implementation of an innovative methodological approach for the organization and management of cultural routes (Oikonomopoulou et al., 2017). Cycling can generate income for the local people living in distant areas. It is a tool for the local government to boost the economic situation and physical activity (Goodman et al., 2014) especially in the tourism sector. Moreover, the cycling route is used as an alternative transportation route in crowded cities. The central governments of many countries are encouraged because it is a green route that reduces pollution (Castells-Graells et al., 2019; Goodman et al., 2014).

Cycling routes play a key role in the tourism sector. Many tourism stakeholders in this world encourage their destinations by offering cycling tours for tourists concerned about the environment and health (Schlemmer et al., 2019). Moreover, the cycling route is a form of experience bridging the spatio-temporal gap between tangible heritage (monuments and landmarks) and intangible dimensions (symbols and

meanings; Dogan, 2019). Many World Heritage Sites provide a cycling route for tourist to explore and experience the significance of the tangible and intangible owing to the enormous areas in many heritage sties. The best way to absorb these vale sites is cycling (Maltese et al., 2017). Ban Chiang, Thailand, is a World Heritage Site. This site shows that the earliest bronze at Ban Chiang facilitated a more precise debate on the relationship between inter-regional interaction in the third and second millennia in Asia and the appearance of early metallurgy (White et al., 2020). However, studies on the Ban Chiang cycling route are lacking.

As review of cycling tourism articles found that not many studies specify the effect of the components of cycling route management such as law, economy, social and mediation analysis by using route characteristics. Some academic researchers identify the relationship of the cycling route with other variables as the “Danube Cycling Route” these researchers have shown that one of the main advantages of Fruška Gora Mountain is: ground mobility, availability, and easy access from many points on the mountain. Additionally, many natural, cultural values and training activities favor living in the mountain (Vujko et al., 2013). Other findings found that the cycling route contributes to the cohesion of stakeholders. Like in different countries, this study evaluates the processes that determine the leverage of cycling tourism trails for mainstreaming cross-border contact and “soft” region-building. Reflecting on the Vennbahn between Germany, Belgium and Luxemburg, this study shows the influence of routes on cross-border integration. Tourism trails can contribute to cross-border integration (Stoffelen, 2018). Most research conceptualizes cycling in quantitative methods, and focuses on findings from travel behavior, transportation planning, and health science that examine the determinants of cycling routes (Liu et al., 2021). Many studies have pointed out that the two broad stream impacts on the cycling tourism route are socio-economic and management issues (Lamont, 2014).

This study focuses on the social factors that motivate potential tourists to pursue a tourism experience of a cycling route. When an individual decides to travel, the choice is motivated by a unique cultural heritage. This is the pull factor that lures overseas to visit a destination. The other factor of this study aims to explore the law or restriction for cycling route. The cycling tourism route needs to be safe for the tourists, and laws and restriction make cyclists highly conscious of cycling (Love et al., 2012). These two factors affect the route characteristics and the economy. Therefore, this study explored the influence of each determinant. The comprehensive point of this study is how the route characteristics, as a mediation variable, reflect economic issue. It benefits the stakeholders’ knowledge of cycling tourism and broadens their views.

The contributions of this paper are as follows: (i) a cycling cultural route that reflects the Ban Chiang civilization and Thai Puan culture (ii) a model of the cycling route for stakeholders to manage their tourism circumstances, (iii) the stakeholders of the cycling tourism route will raise high awareness regarding to law or restrictions to lower accidents or dangerous situations; and (iv) the findings provide information in designing a cycling route in a plan to promote the economic condition of the people.

2. Law

Restrictions or rules are essential for cycling on tourism routes. The current situation of the bicycle route needs improvement (the existing infrastructure, critical sections, potential locations for rest areas, services, accommodation facilities) and measures to improve bicycle safety along the route trails (Bogdanović et al., 2016). Law makes cyclists concerned and conscious of their activities during cycling, as the cycling route needs to be safe for the people (Saplıoğlu & Aydın, 2018). Safety is the key aspect of cycling characteristics (Hardinghaus & Papantoniou, 2020). Orientation can

affect cyclists’ attitudes. The cycling assessment method showed significant potential in changing planning practitioners’ perceptions and attitudes towards cycling. Approximately half of the planners showed more positive attitudes towards cycling after the workshops (Bicalho et al., 2019).

3. Social

Nowadays, the cycling route is used for conserving culture and making people in the community healthier and united owing to cycling as a vehicle of social conformity (concerning gender, social class, and status). This highlights distinct differences in cycling levels, use patterns and cycling cultures between nations (Oosterhuis, 2016). The key to a successful cycling cultural route management is the cooperation of the stakeholders. If this compliance is lacking, it creates a barrier in the management of cycling route (Luekveerawattana, 2020; Oosterhuis, 2016). Furthermore, academic firms that the overall quality of a destination has the biggest influence on tourists’ decisions of whether to revisit a destination. In contrast, it was the least important reason before the visits (Vareiro et al., 2019).

4. Economy

Cycling improves the economy, and we should promote cycling for economic benefits. Cycling contributes positively to the national economy and is a cost-effective investment (Kasemsap, 2018). It can help to reduce congestion, create jobs, save employers money, improve productivity, inject money into the economy via cycle trade, boost the vitality of town centers, add value to neighborhoods and communities, and deliver goods efficiently (We are cycling UK, 2016). Moreover, a cultural route can create opportunities for large and small businesses (Tajeddini et al., 2017). Cycling tourism is an environmentally friendly way to explore a destination and generate environmental protection and economic growth (Bakogiannis et al., 2020). Economic growth is due to visitors’ desire to revisit and consume local drinks, food, accommodation, and souvenirs. This brings income and benefit to the host and destination’s economy (Du et al., 2016; Ruangwannasak et al., 2021).

5. Route characteristic

Leisure cycling is done for pleasure and general exercise. Therefore, it is important to realize this when creating new infrastructure for cycling in cities by addressing the perceived importance of facilities (Vedel et al., 2017). The attributes of the cycling route are related to the bicycle facilities, road surface, traffic and topography, which are expected to change along the route line from the start to the destination (Cekmis, 2017).

Various academic studies suggest key factors in managing cycling cultural tourism routes, such as social, legal, route characteristic, and economic impact (Hannam et al., 2021; Han et al., 2020; Bakogiannis et al., 2020; Joana Maria de Oliveira Neves and Jose Paulo; Esperanca, 2011). These variables are related to cycling tourism, which contributes to improving economic of urban tourism (Nilsson, 2019). However, these suggestions are descriptive. This study confirms this relationship model. The theories and literature reviews above can be used to developed a measurement model, as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Measurement model.

Objective: to explore the social context of cycling routes and law factors controlling cyclists’ behavior affecting economic factor (benefit from cycling tourism route) through route characteristic

Hypothesis

Hypothesis 1: The Law factor has a positive effect on the economic factor

Hypothesis 2: social context has a positive effect on the economic factor

Hypothesis 3: The Law factor has a positive effect on the social context of study setting

Hypothesis 4: The Law factor has a positive effect on route characteristic

Hypothesis 5: social context has a positive effect on route characteristic

Hypothesis 6: route characteristic has a positive effect on the economic factor

6. Setting

The Ban Chiang site was excavated in the late 1960s. Until then, the period before the spread of an Indianized culture in the first millennium C.E. was relatively unknown. The findings at Ban Chiang and other sites proved that Thailand and Southeast Asia’s prehistory was far more complex than previously thought (Khan Academy, n.d.). Ban Chiang is considered the most important prehistoric settlement discovered in Southeast Asia. This marks an important stage in human cultural, social and technological evolution. The site presents the earliest evidence of farming in the region and the manufacture and use of metals (Ban Chiang Archaeological Site,n.d.; Ban Chiang Clay,n.d.).Cycling cultural tourism route as Figure 2 shows places related to prehistoric and present culture at Ban Chiang, Udonthani, Thailand.

Figure 2. Cycling cultural tourism route at Ban Chiang, Udonthani, Thailand.

6.1. Data collection

This study is a quantitative and survey research. There were 3,451,041 tourists in 2017. But, in period of undertaking this research the number of tourists is quite low due to Coronavirus disease. The average number of tourists around 800 per month. The researcher used questionnaires to collect data from 433 correspondents and use systematic sampling. Data was collected from tourists who have visited Ban Chiang and cyclists who have done cycling activities in Ban Chiang, Udonthani. These respondents were selected from the 1st tourist then decide to choose every fifth person from those who had sightseen cultural items in Ban Chiang, such as the chapel, Ban Chiang National Museum, and heritage sites in the Ban Chiang community, to determine whether their social, population and other factors influence the economic impact of managing cycling cultural tourism routes. The causal correlation between the independent and dependent variables was analyzed. This study was conducted from May to July 2021. The research tool was a structured questionnaire divided into two parts. The first part concerns the social and population data. The second part is the social, the law factor and the route characteristic related to economic factor of the study area and the reliability of the research tool Alpha with a coefficient of 0.93.

7. Data analysis

Percentages, means, and standard deviations were used to describe general data describing social, law factor, route characteristic and economic factors. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to explore causal relationships between the independent and dependent variables by setting the statistical significance level to 0.05.

8. Survey instrument development and design

The questionnaire is divided into two parts: the first part asks for the socio-demographic profile of the respondents, such as sex, age, education level, job, income, marital status, and cycling behavior of the tourists. The second part finds out the 5- scales score of opinion on the law, social, route characteristic and economy factors as follows:

law

b 2.2 Cyclists should respect the law while riding.

b 2.3 Cyclists should observe the traffic laws regarding cycling.

b 2.4 Before riding, there should be a traffic law manual distribution or orientation.

(the tourist can answer questions about economic factors by using BCH bike applications on their mobile phones. The number of tourists gradually increase after launching this application, especially tourists who love outdoor activity and experiencing cultural landmarks at this world heritage site)

b 3.1 The cycling route has characteristics that attract the tourists to come back again.

b 3.2 The cycling route can be used by tourists to refer others to invite them to use this cycling route.

b 3.3 There are rest stops, beverage shop, and restaurants along the cycling route.

b 4.1 There are cultural landmarks on the cycling route.

b 4.2 There are various community organizations involved in managing the cycling route.

b 4.3 Stakeholder or networks in the community have co-operated to develop a cycling. route

Route characteristic

b 1.6 Signage design reflects a sense of place and is easy to perceive.

b 1.7 Facility needed for cycling activity is found on the route.

8.1. Results

Descriptive data is at the table 1.The model shows significant goodness-of-fit statistics: GFI = 0.979, P = 0.111, Chi- square = 44.314, the RMSEA = 0.028. With a sample size of 433 respondents, a significant chi-square and degree of freedom ratio acceptable. The model fits the goodness-of-fit statistical results. All the hypotheses are supported. This structural model solution produced an R2 value of 0.82, suggesting that the structural model explains 82 percent of the variance in tourism performance. It has strong explanatory power for this type of models.

Table 1. Mean and S.D of variables

variables	N	Min	Max	Mean	S.D
Law (L)
Cyclists should respect the law while riding	433	1	5	4.00	1.069
Cyclists should observe the traffic laws regarding cycling	433	1	5	4.07	1.054
There should be a traffic law manual distributed or an orientation before riding	433	1	5	3.94	1.047
Economy (E)
The cycling route has characteristics that attract the tourists to come back again	433	1	5	3.84	.995
The cycling route can be used by tourists to refer others to invite them to use this cycling route	433	1	5	3.81	.953
There are rest stops, beverage shop,enough restaurants along the cycling route	433	1	5	3.74	.963
Social (S)
There are cultural landmarks on the cycling route	433	1	5	3.87	.976
There are various community organizations involved in managing the cycling route	433	1	5	3.80	.972
Stakeholder or network in the community has co-operated to develop cycling route	433	1	5	3.78	1.008
Route characteristic (P)
Signage design identifies a sense of place and is easy to perceive	433	1	5	3.62	1.079
The facility needed for cycling activities is found on the route and fulfil	433	1	5	3.69	1.082

There are latent variables and observed variables (Table 2) as follows:

Table 2. Factor loading

Variable	Law factor			Social factor			Economy factor			Route characteristic			R^2
	factor loading	SE	t	factor loading	SE	t	factor loading	SE	t	factor loading	SE	t
b2.2	.89												.78
b2.3	.93	.038	27.01										.87
b2.4	.85	.041	22.94										.73
b4.1				.84									.71
b4.2				.90	.041	23.95							.81
b4.3				.89	.047	19.46							.78
b3.1							.91						.81
b3.2							.92	.035	27.50				.86
b3.3							.82	.042	20.35				.66
b1.6										.90			.81
b1.7										.95	.042	25.1	.90
law				.77	.045	16.381	.23	.048	4.59	.24	.073	3.4	.00
social							.44	.059	7.54	.50	.079	6.8	.59
Route characteristic							.33	.042	7.44				.50
economy													.82

The law factor compose of cyclists should respect the law while riding (b 2.2), observe the traffic laws regarding cycling (b 2.3), and there should be a traffic law manual distributed or orientation before riding (b 2.4). The factor loading of these observed variables were .89, .93, .85 respectively. Therefore, an absolute value of more than 0.30 and a P value less than 0.05 (Kline, P., 1994: 28–41). This means that cyclists should respect the law while riding (b 2.2), observe the traffic laws regarding cycling (b 2.3), and there should be a traffic law manual distributed or have orientation before riding (b 2.4) that can explain the law factor at 79%,86%, and.72% respectively.

Social factors consist of cultural landmarks on the cycling route (b 4.1), various community organizations involved in managing the cycling route (b 4.2), and stakeholders or network in the community that has co-operated to develop a cycling route (b 4.3). The factor loading of the observed variables were .84, .90, .89 respectively. This means that there are cultural landmarks on the cycling route (b 4.1), various community organizations involved in managing the cycling route (b 4.2), and stakeholders or networks in the community that co-operated to develop a cycling route (b 4.3) that can explain the social factor comprising 70%, 81%, and 79% respectively.

The economic factor comprises the cycling route has characteristics that attract tourists to return (b 3.1), which tourists can use to refer others to invite them to use this cycling route (b 3.2) . There are rest stops, beverage shops, and restaurants along the cycling route (b 3.3). The factor loading of these observed variables were .90,.93,.81 respectively. This means that the cycling route has characteristics that attract tourists to return (b 3.1). The cycling route tourists can use to refer to others inviting them to use this cycling route (b 3.2). There are rest stops, beverage shops, and restaurants along the cycling route (b 3.3) that can explain 81%, 86%, and 65% of the social factor, severally.

Route characteristics consist of the signage design identifying a sense of place and easily perceiving (b1.6) and facilities needed for cycling activity found on the route and fulfilling (b1.7); factor loadings of these observed variables are .90,.95 respectively. These observed variables can explain 81% and 90% of the route characteristics, severally.

An attempt was made to check whether the data set was free from multicollinearity by testing the relationship of variables used in this research, it showed no Multicollinearity because the correlation of the variables is less than 0.80 (r < 0.80; Shadfar & Malekmohammadi, 2013). Therefore, it is appropriate to test the structural equation modeling as shown in Table 3.

Table 3. Correlation Matrix of variables

	b1.6	b1.7	b2.2	b2.3	b2.4	b3.1	b3.2	b3.3	b4.1	b4.2	b4.3
b1.6
B1.7	.78
b2.2	.52	.53
b2.3	.52	.53	.83
b2.4	.53	.53	.75	.79
b3.1	.63	.66	.65	.66	.63
b3.2	.64	.65	.64	.67	.64	.74
b3.3	.62	.65	.55	.56	.56	.70	.75
b4.1	.55	.58	.61	.62	.58	.68	.65	.68
b4.2	.57	.58	.59	.64	.60	.68	.70	.65	.75
b4.3	.53	.56	.57	.61	.58	.67	.69	.60	.67	.78

All the variables in the structural equation model were statistically significant at 0.01, as shown in Table 3. This means that all variables in the path have a relationship. The regression weights of all variables are showed in Table 4.

Table 4. Regression Weights

	path		Estimate	S.E.	C.R.	P	Label
S	<—	L	.733	.045	16.381	***	par_9
P	<—	L	.248	.073	3.402	***	par_6
P	<—	S	.539	.079	6.823	***	par_7
E	<—	L	.221	.048	4.590	***	par_8
E	<—	S	.442	.059	7.544	***	par_10
E	<—	P	.310	.042	7.443	***	par_15
b2.2	<—	L	1.000
b2.3	<—	L	1.025	.038	27.139	***	par_1
b2.4	<—	L	.937	.041	22.987	***	par_2
b1.6	<—	P	1.000
b3.1	<—	E	1.000
b3.3	<—	E	.856	.040	21.491	***	par_3
b4.3	<—	S	1.000
b4.2	<—	S	.971	.040	23.997	***	par_4
b4.1	<—	S	.905	.047	19.283	***	par_5
b1.7	<—	P	1.052	.042	25.132	***	par_14
b3.2	<—	E	.985	.035	28.358	***	par_16

9. Discussion and recommendation

The present findings show that the law factor significantly influences the economic factor positively. Thus, Hypothesis 1 is accepted. This could be explained by the fact that cycling cultural tourism route managers need to be concerned about the law or the restrictions for cycling, orientation before cycling, and the distribution manuals to cyclists when planning or managing the cycling route. If the cultural route stakeholders consider the law factor in controlling their tourists’ safety, this will increase the economic factor, which increases the benefit to the cycling cultural route (Bogacz-Wojtanowska & Góral, 2018). Next, the law factor positively effects route characteristics (Hypothesis 4 is accepted), and the necessity of managing the cycling route is its safety. Many tourists are willing to ride on the safe route; therefore, they will be trusted by tourists if there are restrictions or laws to show obviously and support their safety cycling. From the model, an increase in the law factor leads to both direct and indirect growth of route characteristic and economic factors. This is an obvious finding confirming that if stakeholders want to promote cycling cultural routes to distribute economic benefit to the local people, they cannot ignore building restrictions or laws that make them confident.

Moreover, social context significantly influences economic factor. Thus Hypothesis 2 is accepted. The findings show that these two variables have a positive influence. The stakeholders of the cycling cultural route should cooperate and build networks locally and internationally to manage the cycling route, as this circumstance can generate benefits to the site, especially the World Heritage Site (Góral, 2016; Asmelash, A. G.,& Kumar, S.,2019). Moreover, social context has a positive effect on route characteristics. Thus, Hypothesis 5 is accepted. Social context directly and indirectly effects that economic factors. These two factors show a higher affection than the law factor. This implies that, social context is the key to success in managing cycling cultural routes since route characteristics reflect culture’s identity, such as world heritage sites and ethnic groups can attract people to decide to travel. When tourists visit and get a warm welcome and good care from the host, this shows the strength of the cooperation of the stakeholders and the success of making the tourist satisfied. This could be a lesson for other routes’ stakeholders to consider and manage cycling cultural routes by focusing on their unique culture, in which there is no place the same. An increasing number of cyclists will increase their expenses, such as buying food, drinks, accommodations. This shows that income goes to small businesses.

This study reveals that the law factors significantly influence the social context of the study setting (Hypothesis 3). The law factor establishes a positive relationship with social factors. This finding suggests that cycling cultural route managers should observe the restrictions or laws in managing the cycling cultural route. Restrictions or law may be raised to keep their cultural resources intact along the route. This restriction reduces the damaging issue to the cultural resources of people and items. Law has a key influence on stakeholders in cooperation intact and green and does sustainable managing, as the results report the existence of significant relationships between resources, supply and tourism destination management as the core and essential factors to the competitiveness of a particular tourist destination (Thapa & Lee, 2017)

Route characteristics have a positive effect on economic factors. Thus, Hypothesis 6 is accepted. This directly effects the economic factors. Route characteristics can reveal the story of a place by itself. This is a sense of place that makes the tourists impressive. The route design should fulfill tourists’ need with facilities such as food, drink, bike equipment, direction signs, souvenir shops, emergency assistance, and first aids. If tourists are satisfied with the route characteristics, it will increase the potential for revisiting. Consequently, there is an opportunity to increase the revenue of small businesses along the cycling route. This is an economic impact on local areas for their member to obtain a better quality of life. Cycling cultural tourism routes can contribute to the well-being of small businesses in rural and urban tourism destination. Like walking, cycling tourism can easily get anywhere, even where it is difficult to access (Nilsson, 2019).

The law factor, social context, and route characteristics, directly and indirectly, effect to economic factors. These three factors positively influence economic impacts such as well-being and increased income for low-income families. Flowing income is generated from the cycling cultural route. As the model confirms, the stakeholders who want to raise cycling campaign will be advantageous if they manage and practice focusing on these factors. However, cycling cultural route managers need to care about every step of management from pre- to post-visit, to attract visitors’ cyclist intentions. Each cycling route has a different cultural landscape and context, and the management method varies from route to route, even in the same country.

Article highlights

• The research explores social context of cycling route and law factors to control cyclists’ behavior affect to economic factor (benefit from cycling tourism route) through the route characteristic

• SEM analysis was applied to the data analysis

• The law factor, social context, and route characteristics, directly and indirectly, effect to economic factors. These three factors positively influence economic impacts such as well-being and increased income for low-income families. Flowing income is generated from the cycling cultural route.

Acknowledgements

I would like to express my sincere thanks to Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University for providing me with a research scholarship and research facilities to accomplish my research.

Disclosure statement

Additional information

Funding

The author received no direct funding for this research.