“Mutelu” Tourism

    Currently, faith and belief tourism is becoming popular worldwide, giving rise to "Mutelu" tourism in Thailand. Mutelu tourism can be compared to faith-based tourism in other countries, encompassing spiritual tourism. According to a report by Future Market Insight, faith-based tourism generated an economic value of 13.7 billion US dollars worldwide in 2022 and is expected to increase to 40.92 billion US dollars by 2033, nearly tripling in 10 years.

     For Thailand, the economic value from Mutelu tourism, as forecasted by the Ministry of Commerce, is substantial. Merely merit-making activities alone could generate a circulation income of up to 10.8 billion baht, constituting 0.36 percent of the country's total tourism value in 2019.

Four key drivers of Mutelu tourism model are:

1. Initiating attractions that draw tourists to worship sacred objects according to their different beliefs.
2. Attracting tourists to travel and relax in nearby areas, allowing them to spend more time in the area.
3. Enticing with each area's unique cuisine, offering an authentic local food experience that can't be found elsewhere.
4. Offering opportunities to purchase local products or engage in shopping as desired. When these four components are fully realized, they can unbelievably revive the economy.      

Meanwhile, Mutelu tourism is not limited to merit-making or temple visits. It also includes cultural items, which can be classified into two types:

1. “Mutelu” that involves places, such as temples, mosques, shrines, and divinity sites, and replicas of sacred objects.
2. “Mutelu” that does not involve places, such as amulets, charms, and rituals.

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