The Guidelines for Developing and Upgrading Tourism Potential and Products to Support Rail Tourism of Khao Luang Lifestyle in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province
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Abstract
Rail tourism in the Khao Luang local area of Nakhon Si Thammarat Province has the potential to attract tourists with its natural charm and local culture. However, there is still a lack of comprehensive studies on tourist behavior, satisfaction, and factors influencing travel decision-making, which are crucial for developing tourism products and enhancing services to meet the needs of modern tourists. Additionally, rail tourism faces infrastructure, facilities, and insufficient marketing communication limitations, making the area's tourism development does not reach its full potential. The research objectives include: 1) to study the rail tourism behavior of tourists in the Khao Luang area, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province; 2) to assess tourists' satisfaction with the marketing mix of rail tourism services in the Khao Luang area; 3) to analyze factors related to the marketing mix of rail tourism services in the region; and 4) to propose strategies for enhancing the potential and upgrading rail tourism products in the Khao Luang area, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province. Data were collected through questionnaires administered to 370 Thai tourists selected using convenience sampling. The data analysis employed descriptive statistics, including percentages, means, standard deviations, and Chi-square statistics, to test variable relationships. The results revealed that most tourists were female private employees aged between 31 and 40 years, with a bachelor's degree, marital status, and an average monthly income of 20,001–30,000 baht. Regarding tourism behavior, most had traveled to the area more than once, primarily informed by family and close friends. They preferred traveling alone, staying for one night, and visiting natural attractions. Overall satisfaction was at a moderate level (= 3.33), with the highest satisfaction in products and services (
= 3.81) and the lowest in physical characteristics (
= 2.97). The relationship analysis showed that age, occupation, income, travel experience, sources of information, travel purposes, travel periods, and travel characteristics were moderately related to satisfaction. The study proposed five development strategies: improving infrastructure and facilities, enhancing marketing communication and promotion, developing workforce capacity, encouraging community involvement, and building collaborative networks. These strategies aimed to elevate the potential of rail tourism in the region and foster sustainable development.
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