A study of factors attracting American tourists to Thailand

Abstract

This exploratory study focuses on identifying the attracting and detracting features in Thailand as perceived by different groups of American tourists. The questionnaire was mailed to a sample of American tourists who applied for visas to enter Thailand in 1978. Data were obtained on the tourists' demographic characteristics, their trip characteristics, and their attitudes toward Thailand for selected attributes. A 50.1 percent response rate, after a follow-up, was achieved. Simple descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data describing tour and non-tour travellers, as well as travellers from Texas and from California. Additional sub-groups selected according to their reasons to visit, length of stay, and prior experience, were included in the testing of the hypotheses as appropriate. Chi-square, Analysis of Variance, and t-Test were the major statistical techniques used in testing several sub-hypotheses under the variables of: reasons to visit; attractions visited; sources of information; problems encountered; and attitudes toward selected attributes. The results of the findings exhibited similar demographic characteristics among the various sub-groups. Some similarities and differences were found when comparing tour and non-tour travellers as well as travellers from Texas and from California in terms of travel patterns and attitudes toward Thailand. Tour and non-tour travellers were found to be a diverse group of individuals who had different travel patterns and attitudes toward Thailand. Regardless of types of tourists, Texans and Californians were a homogeneous group of tourists who had similar travel patterns and attitudes toward Thailand. ...