Motorbike Helmet Art as a Contemporary Design Form for Crafting Tourism Souvenirs of Thailand

This research investigates the impact of helmet designing on tourism consumption and place-making of mature destinations in Thailand. In particular, it evaluates helmet art as a means of creating souvenirs for international tourists. Designing helmets for Thai destinations was launched in April 2018 as a pilot project between a leading Thai University and a domestic company of motor accessories. Twenty-five art graduate students designed their prototypes for a special series of customized-helmets with Thai destinations of Bangkok, Pattaya, and Chiang Mai as a theme. The company displayed the collection for sale in three roadshows in the aforementioned areas. Applying the ethnographic method, this study was based on 75 in-depth interviews with visitors at the roadshows and helmet buyers. The findings indicate that customized helmets are a novel and distinct type of souvenirs for destinations in Thailand. According to the buyers, the uniqueness of the designs fosters the use-value and the exchange-value of the helmets, whereas the creativity of the graphics enhances their sign-value. Additionally, the results suggest that helmet art can be used as a promotional tool for branding tourism destinations. Also, helmet designs project the personal interpretations of the artists regarding each destination that may strengthen the brand image and coincide with the perceptions of the tourists/buyers about the place. The originality of our work stems from the fact that for the first time in tourism literature, helmet art has been examined as an effective tool for delivering tangible mementos of popular tourist destinations in Asia.