A Study of Travel Behavior and Intention to Travel Following Tourism Influencers on Social Media Among Thai Tourists

Abstract

     This quantitative research aimed to 1) examine the behavior of Thai tourists in following tourism influencers on social media, and 2) examine the level of travel intention to travel following tourism influencers. Data were collected from a sample of 385 Thai tourists aged 18 years and above who had experience following tourism influencers on at least one social media platform, using convenience sampling. The research instrument was an online questionnaire with an Index of Item–Objective Congruence (IOC) of 0.91 and a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.79. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation.
     The findings revealed that tourists’ behavior in following tourism influencers was consistent with the AISAS model. Most respondents were exposed to content via YouTube, followed content more than 2–3 times per week, searched for additional information after viewing the content, and had previously traveled following tourism influencers. In addition, satisfaction related to the intention to travel following tourism influencers was at a high level, with convenience and accessibility showing the highest mean, followed by entertainment and information seeking. These results indicate that that tourism influencers play a significant role in shaping travel intention by fulfilling both informational and emotional needs, as explained by the Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT). The findings can be used as guidelines for planning effective digital tourism marketing strategies.