Craft Beer Tourism in Thailand

Abstract

The craft beer movement and craft beer tourism are a new global phenomenon that has reached various parts of the world. However, the literature on craft beer tourism mostly focuses on traditional origins of craft beer in Western countries—the US, Australia, and European countries. This research note illustrates how a study of the Thai craft beer movement and craft beer tourism could contribute to the existing body of knowledge. The consumption of non-Western people in non-Western places has been underrepresented in the literature of food and beverage tourism. The craft beer movement has spread to Thailand via urban middle-class Thais who brought the passion for and knowledge of home brewing from the West to Thailand. Brewing lessons, brewery visits, and craft beer events/ festivals have functioned as community building activities for Thai craft beer enthusiasts as well as the main craft beer distribution channel. Craft beer consumption continues to grow despite the Thai alcoholic production law that prohibits home brewing. For future studies, different craft beer tourism activities in Thailand should be analyzed for 1) the adoption of the experience economy framework, 2) the formation of the consumption community, 3) the roles of various stakeholders who differentially contribute to and benefit from craft beer tourism activities, and 4) the role of foreign tourists in the development of craft beer tourism in Thailand.

Applications of Experience Economy in Craft Beer Tourism: A Case Study in Thailand’s Context

“…To date, there are more than 60 Thai craft beer brands in Thailand, concentrated in Bangkok and big cities such as Chiangmai and Phuket [20]. The Thai craft beer sector has shown significant growth in market value; the record of 35 million baht in 2016 multiplied more than eightfold into approximately 300 million baht in 2017 [9]. In 2018, the proportion of market share for craft beer was valued approximately at 16 million USD, expecting a twofold expansion in 2020 [22].…”

“…Major forms of craft beer tourism include beer tasting and beer-related experiences tied to visiting breweries, beer trails, beer festivals, and events [6][7][8]. In the current craft beer tourism scene, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and South Africa are principal players who dominate the global market [9]. Hence, most of the studies on craft beer tourism have been conducted within these contexts.…”