Underlying Reasons for Thai Tourists’ Intentions to Engage in Spiritual Tourism: A Qualitative Study of the Nakee Route
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Abstract
This qualitative study aims to explore the underlying factors influencing Thai tourists’ intention to engage in spiritual tourism along the Nakee Route. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with ten Thai tourists who had either prior experience or a clear intention to undertake spiritual tourism within this route. Participants were selected using purposive sampling, and the data were analyzed through content analysis. The findings reveal four key factors shaping tourists’ intention to engage in spiritual tourism: intrinsic motivation, destination perceptions, reference group influences, and external stimuli. The results further indicate that such intention is not driven solely by personal motivation; rather, it emerges from a meaning-making process resulting from the interaction between internal and external factors of the traveler. Furthermore, the findings lead to the development of a conceptual model of integrated process-based meaning-making model of spiritual travel intention. Based on these findings, the study proposes practical guidelines for promoting spiritual tourism: emphasizing the communication of local identity and cultural narratives, the enhancement of destination image in both cognitive and affective dimensions, the appropriate use of social networks in tourism communication, and the development of supporting services and tourism experiences. These approaches contribute to enhancing the value and meaning of spiritual travel experiences for tourists.
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