28 A COMMUNITY BRANDING DEVELOPMENT FOR ETHNIC IDENTITY AND ECO-CULTURAL TOURISM IN NAKHON PHANOM PROVINCE, THAILAND Prompassorn Chunhabunyatip 1* , Dudsadee Chuaysook 2 and Suthep Aromrucks 3 ABSTRACT: Nakhon Phanom Province has positioned themselves to be the heart of tourism in the Grater Mekong Sub-region (GMS). The concept of ethnic identity is useful for cultural heritage in Nakhon Phanom Province has become particularly involved with the specialists of cultural and sustainable tourism in the country. The question of ethnic identity in eco-cultural tourism practices becomes an important issue regarding what is locally perceived as authentic and what tourists and developers examine as a key travel experience. So, this study aims to record and review through semi-structured in-depth interviews about the opinions about ethnic identity of community and the opinions of policy makers and tourism developers of community eco-cultural tourism. In particular, the research emphasizes on how the concept of ethnic identity can enhance a position of Nakhon Phanom Province as a tourism destination and develop its brand equity on the national tourism market. Keywords: Ethnic Identity, Eco-Cultural Tourism, Community Branding, Nakhon Phanom Introduction The tourism development in the new era of global economy is one of the most important factors for national image. Therefore, the government closely monitors and manages how other countries perceive them as the tourism destination (Ringer, 2013). It has triggered scholars, academics, and politicians to engage in the field of community branding. In addition, it has initiated strategic marketing plans that help to figure out and change the global perception of a particular country. It is a new incidence that is different from the national image in a feeling that community 123 Lecturer, Tourism and Service Industry College, Nakhon Phanom University, Thailand. 103 M.3, Khamtao Distric, Muang, Nakhon Phanom, Thailand 48000 *Corresponding Author: prompassorn@npu.ac.th branding involves a practical approach to the shape, revision, and management of the country’s image (Sharpley & Ussi, 2014, Tiberghien, 2019). Normally, the local image is strongly related to the country-of- origin effect. Nakhon Phanom Province located in the northeast of Thailand, was a part of Lan Consequently. Most indigenous people in Nakhon Phanom Province contribute to the producing of products and services produced similar to the certain country in the eyes of an outsider consumer (Gardiner & Scott, 2014). Insofar, Nakhon Phanom Province is not known as tourism destination either globally or nationally. Although, the number of inbound tourists is quite small, the province puts great efforts to promote the province in eco-cultural tourism attractions with a variety of ethnic cultures and unique landscapes (Srito & Walsh, 2012). As the heritage is inherently a contested phenomenon (Waterton &