Strategic supply chain framework for sustainable cultural tourism: integrating local wisdom and the creative economy with insights into smart tourism technologies

Sustainable cultural tourism is a key driver of economic and social development. However, challenges persist in integrating local wisdom with the creative economy to strengthen sustainable tourism performance. Qualitative insights further indicate that smart tourism technologies play a contextual role in supporting sustainable tourism strategies. This study develops a supply chain management model for Thailand’s sustainable cultural tourism, employing a mixed-methods approach combining structural equation modelling with 400 respondents and in-depth interviews with tourism stakeholders. The results show that local wisdom does not directly impact sustainability (β = −0.066, p > 0.05) but is essential in promoting the creative economy (β = 0.754, p < 0.001), which significantly enhances cultural tourism management (β = 0.715, p < 0.001) and sustainability (β = 0.350, p < 0.001). Although digital technologies can enhance smart tourism experiences, they remain underutilised due to technological gaps and insufficient local digital infrastructure. The study highlights the need for public–private partnerships to support digital transformation, infrastructure investment, and capacity-building programmes that empower entrepreneurs and communities. It contributes to the supply chain and tourism literature, proposing a comprehensive supply chain management framework integrating cultural heritage, the creative economy, and smart tourism innovation to develop sustainable tourism.