<![CDATA[Tourism and hospitality constitute a key driving force of Thailand’s economy, with community-based tourism ubiquitously recognized as a crucial element for improving a community’s economic status. This study aimed to determine the influences of community participation and the moderating effects of the community members’ roles on tourism potential. Quantitative research methods were used. A total of 436 participants were selected using purposive sampling. The sample size was proportionally related to the population of each district in Trang Province. Face-to-face questionnaires were administered and PLS-SEM was employed to test a statistical model to determine the influences of community participation on tourism potential. Results revealed a positive influence by some elements of community participation on the tourism potential and a significant moderating effect by the community members’ roles. The findings of this study confirm that community participation is an integral component of tourism development for enhancing both internal and external tourism potential of a community. This study addresses a research gap by providing empirical evidence on the influence of community participation on tourism potential in Trang’s communities and highlights the importance of community members’ roles as a key factor in enhancing tourism potential, thereby offering valuable implications for community-based tourism development.Received: 2024-01-04 Revised: 2025-12-22 Accepted: 2026-03-10 Published: 2026-04-01]]>
