The Need and Willingness to Pay Entrance Fees to Museum: H.T.M.S. Lanta Museum and Learning Center to Commemorate the Auspiciousness of His Majesty the King’s 84th Birthday Anniversary Case Study

Abstract

            H.T.M.S. Lanta Museum and Learning Center to Commemorate the Auspiciousness of His Majesty the King’s 84th Birthday Anniversary is a historically valuable project that will serve as a key attraction of southern Andaman provinces in the near future. Therefore, a study was conducted with the objective to learn about the demand of tourists, students, and tour operators in visiting the museum. In addition, the study expects to understand the extent of willingness to pay entrance fees and the determination of entrance fees that suit the nature and requirements of visitors. In conducting this study, the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) was used to collect quantitative data using a structured questionnaire. The research used purposive sampling with a sample size of 4 particular groups. Each has 400 sample members, including 130 Thai tourists, 100 foreign tourists, 110 students, and 60 tour operators. The researchers randomly selected units and analyzed the data with descriptive statistics.  

            The results showed that if the H.T.M.S. Lanta Museum and Learning Center to Commemorate the Auspiciousness of His Majesty the King’s 84th Birthday Anniversary is opened, majority of Thai tourists, tour operators, and students will definitely visit with the percentage of 75.40, 65.00 and 64.00, respectively, whereas 66.70% of foreign tourists expressed uncertainty in visiting. The activity that the majority, or 62.75%, of visitors aim to view and learn at the museum is the history of H.T.M.S. Lanta. On the willingness to pay entrance fees, the results showed that the majority of foreign tourists, students, and Thai tourists have the willingness to pay entrance fees. Average prices are as follows: 191.94 baht for foreign tourists; 47.42 baht for Thai tourists and the general public; 30.73 baht for students. All tour operators expect the museum to collect fees from Thai and foreign tourists, whereas 61.70% of tour operators expect the museum to collect fees from students, but 58.30% did not think the museum should collect fees from the elderly, i.e., senior visitors should be able to visit for free. Therefore, this means that the entrance fees of the museum should not exceed the aforementioned prices in regard to correspond to the requirements of visitors. A learning source with emphasis on history should be featured interestingly because the majority of visitors have shown their interest to view.