Factor Analysis of High Value Tourists in the South of Thailand
Main Article Content
Abstract
This research aimed to study the behavior of high-value tourists in southern Thailand and classify high-value tourist groups according to the travel behavior of tourists in the southern region of Thailand. By applying the concept of customer value and modern marketing concepts in understanding high-value tourism. By applying the concept of customer value and modern marketing concepts in understanding high-value tourism. This research focused on the high-value tourist market that is quality tourists who are long stay tourists, high purchasing power and travel in an environmentally friendly manner. These tourists are willing to pay for products or services which can respond their value. This group of tourists expect to learn and create experiences during the trip, especially the local way-of-life. The sample group in this study was high-value domestic and international tourists who traveled to 9 awarded tourism attractions in Phuket, Krabi, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Chumphon, and Songkhla. The data were tested the reliability and validity with a group of 30 respondents and found that the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.957. After revised the questionnaires, data were collected from 515 respondents. The data were analyzed through descriptive statistics and factor analysis. To classify the factor, the KMO value was analyzed, found to be equal to 0.914 and all 13 components were obtained with the variance percentage of all components that could explain the variable set equal to 67.59 % and each factor is classified by the factor loading that are greater than 0.30 and contains at least 3 variables, with the following components: Factor 1 Leisure, Factor 2 Adventure Tourists, Factor 3 Esteem Seeker, Factor 4 Special Interest Tourist, Factor 5 Chill Out Tourist, Factor 6 Mass Tourist, Factor 7 Water Activity Tourism, Factor 8 Learning Tourism Factor 9 Traveler Factor, 10 City Tour, Factor 11 Sightseeing, Factor 12 Local Experience, and Factor 13 Wellness Tourism.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
References
Aungsuchoti, S., Wijitwanna, S. & Pinyopanuwhaat, R. (2009). Statistics for Research in Social and Behavior Sciences: Technique for Using LISREL program LISREL. (3rd Eds.). Bangkok: Mission Media Press. (in Thai)
Choibamroong, T. (2006). Knowledge of tourists' behavior: A key success factor for managers in tourism business. International Journal of Tourism Research, 1, 1-8.
Cronbach, L. J. (1974). Essentials of psychological testing. (3rd ed). New York: Harper & Row.
Cronin, J. & Fitchett, J. (2022). Consume Culture Theory and Its Contented Discontent: an Interview With Søren Askegaard. Journal of Marketing Management, 38(1-2), 127-144.
Huang, Y., Ruangnapakul, N., Leelapattana, W., & Kusirisin, P. (2022). Research on the Image Management of Ctrip Cross-Border Tourism Product Project. RMUTL Journal of Business Administration and Liberal Arts, 10(2), 101 – 116.
Ministry of Tourism and Sport. (2023). The 3rd Thailand Tourism Development Plan (2023 – 2027). Bangkok: Ministry of Tourism and Sport.
Navakijpaitoon, L., Pongsakornrungsilp, S. & Pongsakornrungsilp, P. (2021). Factor Analysis of Millennial Tourists’ Lifestyles in Thailand. Journal of International and Thai Tourism, 17(1), 18 – 43. (in Thai)
Pimkord, V. (2022). Consumption Behavior of Canned Food in Iran. RMUTL Journal of Business Administration and Liberal Arts, 10(1), 25 – 40. (in Thai)
Pongsakornrungsilp, S. (2013). The Sustainable Tourism Development of the Klongtom Saline Hot Spring, Krabi (Research report). Bangkok: Thailand Research Fund. (in Thai)
Pongsakornrungsilp, S. (2021). Principles of Marketing. (3nd eds.). Bangkok: Chulalongkorn University Press. (in Thai)
Pongsakornrungsilp, S. & Pusaksrikit, T. (2016). Developing Green Tourism in Krabi Province (Research report). Bangkok: Thailand Research Fund. (in Thai)
Pongsakornrungsilp, S., Kumpai, S., Parnphumeesup, P., Chansamran, S. & Dungtripop, W. (2015). Impacts of Change in Tourism Market Structure and Tourists’ Behavior in Krabi Province (Research report). Bangkok: Thailand Research Fund. (in Thai)
Pongsakornrungsilp, S., Pongsakornrungsilp, P., Kumar, V. & Maswongssa, B. (2021). The Art of Survival: Tourism Businesses in Thailand Recovering from COVID-19 through Brand Management. Sustainability, 13, 6690.
Pongsakornrungsilp, S. & Pianroj, N. (2018). The Creation of Sustainable Tourism Brand of Koh Pa Ngan, Surattanee (Research report). Bangkok: Thailand Science Research and Innovation. (in Thai)
Pongsakornrungsilp, S., Suppadit, T., Pongsakornrungsilp, P. & Chansamran, S. (2019). Creating Tourism Identity of Klongtom Saline Hot Spring, Krabi Province. Journal of Business Administration Maejo University, 2(2), 60–78. (in Thai)
Pongsakornrungsilp, S. & Schroeder, J.E. (2011). Understanding Value Co-Creation in a Co-Consuming Brand Community. Marketing Theory, 11(3), 303 - 324.
Punyayuen, J. & Wingwon, B. (2022). Effect of Service Marketing Mix, Electronic Service Quality, Technology Acceptance toward Satisfaction in Ordering Food Delivery through the Application of Consumer in Lampang Province. RMUTL Journal of Business Administration and Liberal Arts, 10(2), 65 – 82. (in Thai)
Saengow, P., Pongsakornrungsilp, S. & Pongsakornrungsilp, P. (2016). Factor Analysis of the Lifestyles of Generation Y Consumers on the East Coast of Southern Thailand through AIO Model. Journal of Management Science, Suratthani Rajabhat University, 3(2), 43 – 69. (in Thai)
Steven, K. (1992). Sampling. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Tourism Authority of Thailand. (2021). Exploring Tourism Behavior of Thai Tourists. Bangkok: In-Touch Research and Consultant, Co., Ltd.
Vanichpuncha, K. (2010). Using SPSS For Windows in Data Analysis. Bangkok: Chulalongkorn University Press. (in Thai)
Vargo, S.L. (2020). Assessing and Advancing Marketing’s Value Propositions: A Disciplinary Dialog. AMS Review, 10, 149 – 150.
Vargo, S.L., Wieland, H. & O’Brian, M. (2023). Service-Dominant Logic as a Unifying Theoretical Framework for the Re-Institutionalization of the Marketing Discipline. Journal of Business Research, 164, 113965.