After the tsunami struck Thailand in 2005, there has been great concern over the state of the tourism industry in Thailand. Many of the Thai are either directly or indirectly dependent upon tourism for their living. Tourism is a major industry in Thailand, and the government seeks to promote it through the Tourism Board. However, the government of Thailand would like to see an increase in tourism to Thailand.
Rather than focus on increasing tourism in general, a focused approach has been taken. The market segment of the United Kingdom has been chosen as the target for increasing tourism to Thailand. The tourist population in the United Kingdom is still vastly untapped when travel to Thailand is considered. The data collected in this study is designed to be useful for the Thai government in creating programs to increase tourism from the UK. Advertising plays a significant role in the attraction of tourists.
Therefore, this research is designed to tap into the preferences and priorities of the UK tourist’s vis-à-vis their general traveling interests and their expectations out of traveling to Thailand as one of their prime tourist destinations. This exploratory study focuses on identifying the attracting and detracting features in Thailand as perceived by different groups of English tourists. The questionnaire was completed by 200 English tourists. Data were obtained on the tourist demographic characteristics, their trip characteristics, and their opinion about tourism in Thailand.
- I wish to express my profound gratitude to all who have contributed to this study. Special appreciation is expressed to Dr. Zhongqi Jin, my supervisor, for his guidance and friendship throughout my time at Middlesex University.
- Special appreciation is also expressed to Miss Sirimon Srinoparut, my teacher at Rangsit University in Thailand, who provided her valuable opinions for this dissertation.
- Special thanks are extended to the Tourism Authority of Thailand Officers, who provided sources and useful information for this dissertation.
Finally, my greatest appreciation and thanks are given to my parents, especially my father (Mr. Wisit Bhatanadamrongchit). Without his love, encouragement and financial support, I would never have reached this important goal of my life. Love and tolerance has been the most precious ingredient to the completion of this dissertation. In addition, a special word of thanks to my mother, who offers her greatest love to me all the time, and to my brother and sister who made me become their good sister and who let me teach them to struggle for their best in order to obtain the highest education possible.
The intersection between the West and the East becomes very apparent in the world of tourism. The differences between people and ideas can often come to a clash. This paper looks at two of these groups, tourists from the United Kingdom (UK) and the destination country of Thailand. Basically, this paper seeks to answer the question, “How can Thailand increase the number of tourists from the United Kingdom?”
This question is posed as the result of an extensive literature review. In reviewing the literature, there is vast agreement that the amount of research that has been done on tourism so far is not necessarily helpful in practical application. The methods that have been used in the past are being called into question. The main tools of economists and statisticians are quantitative data, numbers that can be statistically analyzed. These methods were first applied to the study of tourism. However, this methodology has not been adequately expanded to qualitative studies. This leaves the information available on tourism biased and incomplete. This paper explores the qualitative and quantitative aspects of the UK market in an attempt to get a complete picture.
In order to answer this question, a study has been undertaken, composed of two elements, a multiple choice survey and an in-depth interview. Using these two research techniques, impressions and ideas held in the UK about tourism to Thailand have been captured. The statistical method follows more of the quantitavtive (positivistic) school of thought in research methodology. However, the in-depth interview seeks to get to more of the qualitative reasons tourists make the decisions they do. There has been a strong debate between the benefits of quantitative and qualitative analysis when applied to the tourism industry. This paper acknowledges the benefits of both methods and seeks to integrate these into the theoretical framework.
As can be seen, the respondents cover a wide section of society and a vast array of interests. This makes it an ideal sample population for a study on which the Tourism Authority of Thailand can make decisions in regard to improving its tourism promotional campaigns in the United Kingdom. The residents of the United Kingdom are the prime type of people the TAT wants to target, they have plenty of disposable income to spend on tourism.
A number of questions were asked to these participants. It was the objective to measure the quantitative information on these tourists as well as the qualitative information about these tourists.
The type of quantitative information we are interested in is numbers. How many people have been to Thailand? How many people would like to go to Thailand? How many people have ever heard of Thailand? The qualitative aspect of the study is the opinions of the people. What do they think of when they think about Thailand? What are the positive impressions of Thailand they have? What are the negative impressions of Thailand? With this information, the Tourism Authority of Thailand can better develop programs that meet the emotional needs of tourists. Some of the results from the study were surprising. Overall, people have a very positive view of Thailand! This leads to the conclusion that it should not be difficult for the government to convince more people to visit Thailand.
Also, people’s largest concerns revolve around security. It is obvious that with the implementation of underwater earthquake detection devices and the recent peaceful ku de tat, these fears will quickly abate. As was shown, the transition of power was peaceful, with little impact on tourism “Following the peaceful transition of political power in Thailand implemented by the Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy on September 19, 2006, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports wishes to advise that this transition has been totally peaceful in nature, with no incidents of violence in any form. All tourist destinations, facilities and services in the country remain in operation without disruption, and all tourism-related events organized under the authority of the Ministry will be held as scheduled. In addition, airlines have confirmed that domestic and international flights will continue as normal.” (Tourism Authority of Thailand, Statement from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, 2006)
The results of the study strongly support that the government of Thailand is on the right course for increasing its tourism from the UK. Perhaps if they implement a program like the one with Korea, they will see an even greater increase in tourism. It is important to understand the history of Thailand’s tourism industry, and the traditional patterns of UK tourists to Thailand.
The total number of visitors from the UK in 2004 was 628,679 up by 15.35% from 2003. Overall, the number of tourists coming from the UK has been increasing. In 2003 there was a brief decline, but the market seems to be overcoming this setback. In addition to the shear number of people coming from the UK to Thailand, there is also the financial contribution they are making to the Thai economy to take into account. Data from Visa shows that the visitors from the UK are among the highest spenders in Thailand.
The arrival of tourists from Europe has also shown marked improvement from 655,328 arrivals in the first quarter of 2005, to 780,171 arrivals in 2006 in the same quarter. The UK leads in the increase of European tourists. The Tourism Authority of Thailand is the correct place to address the findings of this sudy. The organization was established in 1960 with the following charter (Tourism Authority of Thailand, Introduction of TAT):
Solve the country’s economic problem, creating jobs for people as well as increasing income for the country. Moreover, promotion should be done to make tourism play a vital role in the development of the quality of life in all regions of Thailand as per the policy of the government.
Promote and develop the operation on proactive marketing strategies for increasing the new markets as well as the niche markets. This is in order to attract more quality tourists to visit Thailand. At the same time, domestic travel for Thais should be vigorously encouraged. The positioning of Thailand is to be drawn out clearly, too.
Promote cooperation in all levels domestically and internationally on promotion for the development of tourism markets. This aims to get rid of all hindrances in the tourism industry and pave the way for Thailand to be the tourism hub of Southeast Asia.
Aim at organization and management development as well as development of the human resources’ ability to create a capable driving force in the operation. Moreover, this aims at strengthening the potentiality on international competition under the good governance as well as developing the strength of the organization on its technical roles as well as knowledge on marketing.
Accelerate the development of a tourism technological system for accommodating business activities information (E-Tourism) on the Internet. Included here is also the carrying out of electronic commerce as well as applying information technology in marketing. The necessary mechanism on controlling and protection have to be in place to ensure prevention of problems.
Since the last peaceful ku that occurred in Thailand, the following are the current guidelines being implemented by the Tourism Authority of Thailand internally. Any program recommendations or changes would have to fit within this paradigm (Tourism Authority of Thailand, Tourism Policy Guidelines):
The conduct of all business and performance of responsibilities/duties will be guided by the principles of efficiency, transparency, fairness, cooperation and coordination with related organizations, ministries and other agencies, economy and practicality.
As per His Majesty the King’s directive to Cabinet members, disaster relief is a top priority for the Ministry to help alleviate hardship of the people and rehabilitate areas affected by flooding, which has impacted tourism.
Every effort will be made to restore confidence in Thailand by promoting a better understanding in the international community about the kingdom and the Thai people.
Greater emphasis will be placed on the development and conservation of Thailand’s tourism assets, enhancing the quality of tourism products and services offered to attract top-end visitors and quality tourists and eliminating the problem of zero-dollar tours. Although the growth in visitor arrivals will be more gradual, visitors will be impressed by the quality tourism experience, leading to greater frequency of repeat visits or a decision to invest in Thailand.
The Ministry will focus on the restoration and rehabilitation of the popular and well-used tourism sites and attractions by coordinating with provincial CEO governors in the appropriate allocation of funds, with the Ministry providing technical assistance and support. The Ministry will ensure rigorous implementation of the requisite policies, plans and measures, and build visitor confidence and trust in products and services offered through fair pricing and improved security. Ongoing tourism promotion programmes will be continued. The Minister will support these initiatives after having assessed their potential contribution and benefits to the country.
In 2006, the target figure for the number of international tourists is 15.12 million, with 533,131 million baht revenue projected. In 2007, Thailand expects to get 17.31 million inbound visitors with a hope of gaining 651, 981 million baht in total revenue. In 2008, Thailand aims to receive 20 million inbound visitors with the total tourism revenue of 700,000 million baht. Thailand’s major goal is to become the Tourism Capital of Asia by developing and promoting the tourism industry of the country, constantly working towards high quality standards and sustainable tourism practices that are highly competitive in the world tourism market.
In order to meet its goals, Thailand has implemented the following principles for its marketing plan :
- Carry out pro-active marketing activities to create images of Thailand as a pleasant and quality destination.
- Go through quality market segments (such as to promote Thailand as the gateway to Asia).
- Promoting and creating new tourism products in order to increase marketing opportunities.
- Improve quality and standards of tourism products and services.
- Reinforce company in all levels of the tourism industry.
Finally, Thailand is in the process of redefining itself as a “no-cost” destination, to a destination where people with money will want to visit. They do not want to increase the quantity of tourists, but the quality (based on the amount of money people have available to spend). As stated in August of 2006 (Tourism Authority of Thailand, New Marketing Directions for Thai Tourism),
“In a major departure from previous policy, targets will now be revenue-based designed to achieve a revenue target rather than an arrivals target,” she said. Marketing activities by head office and branch offices will be geared towards stimulating consumers to spend more money in Thailand, with each overseas office and domestic region having a certain revenue target to meet. On the international marketing sector, the most important consideration is the creation of a clear, appropriate and potentially long-term brand image, solving the growing problem of zero-cost tours, boosting tourism during the low season, expanding land transportation, and stressing linkages with the Greater Mekong Subregion.
With this understanding of the history of the relationship between the UK and Thailand, as well as the direction of the Tourist Authority of Thailand, it is now possible to look at the future and make recommendations based on the research.
Objective of the Study
The object of the study is to determine the number, identity, educational needs and potential business impact of UK tourists who visit Thailand. This study will look at the travel patterns of UK tourists to be able to understand the factors affecting why they chose Thailand as their tourist destination, or why tourists prefer other countries. This study will seek to answer the following questions about who the tourists are. Are they members of group tours, solo travelers, or business travelers? What are the reasons the tourists choose to visit Thailand? What reasons would cause them to visit a different country?
The results of this study will also promote various strategies on how to promote Thailand in the UK. The specific goals of the research are as follows. First, this paper aims to provide a theoretical framework that will explain the promotional aspect of tourism campaigns. Second, it aims to reveal the factors that would make Britons pay a certain amount of money in exchange for traveling in Thailand. Third, it seeks to account for the desire to travel in Asian countries, if the traveler is European. What is in Asia that is not in Europe? Specifically, what is in Thailand that is not in the United Kingdom?
Through the accomplishment of these goals, the researcher hopes that the promotional aspect of tourism campaigns will grow. It will help tourism agencies to persuade prospective UK travelers to journey to Thailand. It emphasizes that due to the ease of transportation, the world has become much smaller, and a person can more easily travel to new and exotic locations, becoming a citizen of the world. Finally, this paper attempts to be critical about the competition going among tourism agencies. It seeks to give some agencies the competitive edge in promoting their products, which are the places to be visited.
Scope and Limitations
The scope of this study is focused on responses to questions about reasons for UK tourists to visit Thailand, problems encountered, and the principal sources of information. The information was gathered by the questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS. This study will be used to determine what actions should be taken to encourage or assist potential UK visitors to travel to Thailand.
Scope
The study is composed of 200 respondents to a set questionnaire.
Limitations
- There was limited room for free-response, therefore limiting the available responses.
- The sample population does not represent all of the UK.
- The lack of previous qualitative studies on the attitudes of tourists towards travel in Thailand
Theoretical Framework
There is benefit and value in taking both a quantitative and qualitative approach to researching the opinions and desires of the United Kingdom Tourists. Often, in social circles, qualitative research data is not considered objective and rigorous enough for scientific submission, as noted by Walle (1998, p.71)
Therefore, the quantitative data is provided first, with qualitative data to support the conclusions and recommendations. In the use of qualtitative data, Sinclair and Stabler have some useful advice from their own research: The emphasis in the theoretical analysis in this chapter is on variables which can be measured quantitatively, including the effective demand for tourism which is the amount that consumers are willing and able to spend rather than the notional demand which they would like to exercise but which is not backed by the ability to pay.
This does not imply that non-measurable, qualitative variables are unimportant. Indeed, research in economic psychology takes some cognitive variables into account and mainstream economics acknowledges the important role which expectations can play. However, measurable ‘material’ variables are the main focus of attention since this is the area where economics has most to contribute (Sinclair and Stabler, 1997, p.16).
Since the tourism industry is an economic entity, and the outcome of this study is to recommend how the Tourism Authority of Thailand can increase the dollars coming into Thailand from UK toiurists, the quantitative aspect of the study is important. One of the guiding principles behind the decision to include a qualitative analysis of the tourist market in the UK comes from the social sciences research. Some researchers have been influenced by the theories put forward in Anthropology and Women’s Studies. These theories question traditional means of knowledge derivation. As Goodson and Phillimore state (page 36):
We have argued that the traditional, positivistic approaches to research have produced forms of knowledge that some researchers consider questionable. This was partly because, in the first instance, they focused on phenomena abstracted from their social context and sought to explore what was going on without seeking explanations as to why, for example, people behave in a particular way. Second, the belief that there is one ‘true’ reality was considered to be flawed, as social life develops in a pluralistic fashion. Third, the failure of traditional research to take account of the means of its own production meant that critical parts of the research process – ethics, values and context – were not considered when conclusions were being drawn. These criticisms have, in the main, been accepted by qualitative researchers, largely because they are influenced by interpretive inquiry paradigms.
Therefore, the attitudes and social constructs that people in the UK hold are important to understand if the TAT will be able to successfully target the UK market. This research is focused on the emotional conditions of the UK tourists. This was deemed the most important area for research, as the statistical financial data can be obtained through the World Bank. This paper acknowledges the role of emotion and desire in how people make decisions about travel. Finally, a quote from Walle will help to summarize the theoretical framework of this research:
The decision to engage in social research, in general, and cultural tourism research, in particular, involves a series of trade-offs. On the one hand, cultural tourism professionals can be etic/scientists and deal with verifiable facts using rigorous methods. This choice, however, limits the areas of inquiry to those for which ample “facts” can be gathered and leads to the possibility of oversimplifying reality by only examining phenomena in ways that reflect rigorous data gathering techniques.
As a result of employing such strategies, it becomes impossible to examine “reality” in all its complexity. Emic/humanistic/artistic investigation, precisely because it is not hobbled by exacting research techniques, is free to ask questions that the rigorous researcher cannot easily pursue. The scientist’s retort to such an approach may be “fools rush in where angels fear to tread,” but the emic “fool” has a viable retort: Throughout history fools have often been the harborers of great wisdom precisely because they were able to transcend the conventions of their era and strike at the heart of the issue (Walle 1998, p.70).
Literature Review
One of the main objectives of the Tourism Authority of Thailand is tourists with higher spending ability, as noted by Dr. Suvit (Thailand Tourism Organisation, 2006), “Tourism is an export industry that generates high income for Thailand. At the same time, we have to focus on attracting upmarket visitors and also reduce the zero-cost tour problem. This will create a good image for Thai tourism and benefit investors, thus attracting more visitors.”
Choosing to focus on the United Kingdom makes sense for many reasons, first, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (2006) “The top ten generators of arrivals are Malaysia, Japan, Korean, Singapore, China, UK, America, Hong Kong, Germany and Australia.” In research done by Pearce, he corroborates that more and more UK tourists are traveling out of the UK (1999) “However, In some, such as France, domestic holidays continued to increase; elsewhere (for example, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia and New Zealand), signs of stagnation or decline were appearing, in part as a consequence of increased outbound tourism.”
Thailand is also taking several steps to increase its tourist campaigns. The Tourism Authority of Thailand has also been trying new and innovative marketing techniques. They partnered with a Korean Credit Card issuer to draw new tourists from Korea.
By partnering with Korea’s LG Credit Card, it is hoped that the launch of the LG Sawasdee Thai Credit Card will spark increased interest in Thailand as a travel destination and encourage more of LG’s nine million affluent credit cardholders to take trips to Thailand; increase Thailand’s tourism revenue and increase Thailand’s share of LG VISA cardmember spending in 2006. (LG VISA cardmember spending in 2004 was 1,070,456,735 baht and 1,094,043,528 baht in 2005.) By year-end, the total number of Korean visitors to Thailand is expected to reach 970,000 persons, with an average length of stay of 5.77 days, generating 27.50 billion baht in tourism revenue for the country. Average spend per visitors is forecasted at 4,918.30 baht per day. (Tourism Authority of Thailand, 2006)
Additionally, Thailand is going direct to the consumer in the UK market:
A year and a half after the tsunami, the tourism industry on the Andaman coast is showing good signs of recovery, an official said last week. Caretaker Tourism and Sports Minister Pracha Maleenont said Phuket’s new tsunami warning system would boost the confidence of tourists.
More tourists are expected to return to Phuket, but Thailand will probably not reach its overall target of 14.5 million tourist arrivals this year, Pracha said during a trip to the island last weekend. TAT governor Juthamas Siriwan said the money would be spent promoting Thailand in six main markets – Japan, China, South Korea, the United Kingdom, the United States and Middle Eastern countries. The TAT will focus on ‘direct-to-consumer’ promotions while also introducing discount packages, trade promotions and special rewards for tourists arriving in Thailand, she said. (The Nation, 2006)
This type of promotion strategy is clearly devised to alleviate consumers fears about natural disasters, and to increase the knowledge and interest consumers have of Thailand. Perhaps, if the government were to apply the credit card marketing technique in the UK, based on people’s perceptions of Thailand, then they may be very successful in drawing higher income tourists to Thailand. Thailand is a great destination for high-spending tourists, in a study done by Travel + Leisure, 6 hotels in Thailand were among the top 100, with 3 in the top 11 (Tourism + Leisure, 2006).
The people of the United Kingdom have a high level of expendable income. As stated in the World Bank statistics, the United Kingdom is ranked 12th in the amount of income per person. In terms of purchasing power, they are ranked 13th (World Bank, 2005). In the use of expendable income, many people are choosing to spend their money on tourism:
The relative and absolute importance of tourism in people’s expenditure budgets has risen dramatically, with consequences not only for the welfare of tourists themselves but also for the residents of the areas they visit. The large numbers of tourists and the scale of their expenditure has considerable effects on the income, employment, government revenue, balance of payments, environments and culture of destination areas. A fall in demand can bring about decreases in living standards and rises in unemployment, while increased demand can result in higher employment, income, output and/or inflation and may threaten environmental quality and sustainability (Sinclair and Stabler, 1997, p.15).
In addition to having more money to spend on tourism, people in the United Kingdom also have more time:
Workers have established their right for leisure time, dedicated to their recreation. Paid annual holidays of about four weeks is nowadays a right for most people in Western developed countries, and the rest of the world is gradually heading in this direction. Leisure time is also increasing gradually, as discussions are in progress in the European Union to reduce the working week to 35 hours and to establish a maximum of 48 hours per week. O’Brien (1996) explains that ‘The West European leisure travel market is undergoing structural and cultural changes. These changes are critical to the future demand for, and supply of, leisure products both to consumers and to intermediaries who distribute travel products.’ The European market has experienced a certain level of maturity as the vast majority of North Europeans take annual holidays abroad (Cooper and Wahab, 2001, p.71).
These two factors combined create and ideal market for the Tourism Authority of Thailand to target. In addition, the main things tourists seek are found in Thailand as well: As demonstrated in Figure 4.1 the chapter suggests that tourism demand is going through a transformation which can be explained through the change of the 4Ss framework for seaside tourism: Sea-Sun-Sand-Sex; and the 4Ss framework for urban tourism; Sightseeing-Shopping- Shows-Short breaks, to Segmentation-Specialisation-Sophistication-Satisfaction. This framework should facilitate the interpretation of major demand trends in the international tourism arena in order to assist tourism managers to develop suitable solutions, which will delight, rather than just satisfy, all tourism stakeholders.
However, in following the Sea-Sun-Sand-Sex formula, the Tourism Authority of Thailand must be careful. There are inherent risks to their native culture. There is always a risk of native cultural destruction, as there is always a cultural interchange when two disparate groups meet. Therefore, focusing on the Segmentation-Specialisation-Sophistication-Satisfaction model will aid the Thai government in creating more sustainable tourism within Thailand.
For too long, in tourism studies, the field has perhaps tended to comfortably and axiomatically think only in terms of pristine, intact, and well-bounded cultures which distinctively attract visitors or which singularly celebrate themselves. And, yet, perhaps few of the world’s cultures are indeed so pure, so whole, and so integrated (Tedlock and Mannheim, 1995). It is conceivably time for many in tourism and tourism studies to think again about the seeming soundness, completeness, and unity of cultures, and also to inspect the populations which are apparently disparate, removed, or separated from mainstream society, or otherwise which are dislocated and existing under perverse circumstances within mainstream society (Hollinshead 1998, p.1).
These factors taken together –the increase in length of stay, the increase in money spent on tourism, and the increased travel to Southeast Asia, and are all very good indicators that the tourism economy of Thailand is set to expand. It is the Thai government’s responsibility to capitalize on these trends and to draw tourists to Thailand as opposed to other Southeast Asian Destinations. However, since the region is very interconnected with its neighbors, Thailand is working through ASEAN to increase tourism in the region in general: “Durano read key points of the joint media statement of the ASEAN tourism ministers, which said that despite natural calamities and terrorist threats, “the region remained resilient in attracting improved tourist arrivals” and cited the “importance of having the (tourism) industry working together with a strong sense of common purpose. (Manilla Bulletin, 2006) “
Basically, as Sinclair and Stabler report: “The significant level and repercussions of tourism demand provide a strong case for better understanding of the nature of tourists’ decision-making process (1997, p.15).” This conclusion has precipitated the need for additional research into what influences tourists decision-making and tourism preferences.
Research Methodology
This section summarizes the methods of research chosen and the way the research was conducted. The main stakeholders for this research is the Tourism Authority of Thailand, who can use the information gathered in this study to implement effective tourism promotion packages within the United Kingdom to draw more tourists to Thailand.
It was determined that the best way to get information about UK tourists travel preferences is to ask them. 200 people from North London completed the questionnaire, and from these five were interview in depth. The questions were created and standardized prior to beginning the survey. Once the surveys were complete, the results were tabulated. The survey, in-depth-interview questions, and results are all in the appendix. Considering the small sample size, all results were considered significant. The methodologies are comprised of both quantitative and qualitative approaches.
In 1998, the World Tourism Organization released statistical data of the top twenty tourist detonations in the world – Thailand ranked 20th in the list. Thailand was the third Asian country in the list. Since Thailand’s goal is to be the number one Asian destination for tourists, Thailand, with 7,720,000 tourists must still work on its tourism strategies.
Dommaphat & Manat (2003) also employed a quantitative analysis to check the degree of tourism in Thailand and how hospitable the people of Thailand are. Another study of tourism that employed the use of quantitative analysis will be the work publishes in the Journal of Biodiversity and Conservation. The study tries to quantify the factors that affect the number of visitors coming in one country.
This study also quantifies how many tourists from the UK are currently visiting Thailand, how many desire to come to Thailand, and what the proposed rate of increase can be for tourists from the UK to Thailand.
It is the aim of Thailand to find not just an ordinary visitor for their country, but someone who will be a quality visitor. Some officials have defined quality visitors as those who will be able to stay in the country for quite a long time and who have high purchasing power.
UK tourism spending is broken down into the following: England, 9,992 million lyres; Wales, 248 million lyres; Scotland, 757 million lyres; Northern Ireland, 100 million lyres. In the whole United Kingdom, 11,167 million lyres are being spent for tourism alone. From this data, we see that people in the United Kingdom are willing to allot a large budget for tourism. Therefore, money is not a problem when it comes to attracting UK tourists to visit Thailand because UK tourists have money within their budgets to spend on tourism. Moreover, Ongetpol & Chaisawas (2003) also employed qualitative analysis to check the perception of tourist regarding Phuket as meeting and convention destination. The study was able to give a better picture of the customer’s perception with the analysis that they used.
The qualitative aspect of the study examines the typology of the tourists. It gauges their responses and emotions towards tourism in Thailand form a strongly agree to strongly disagree and prioritization system. This crucial theory of the typology of tourists determines the direction of the whole paper. The kinds of tourists shape the kinds of promotional strategies to be undertaken, and the kinds of promotional strategies to be undertaken shape the kinds of mass media to be utilized in promoting the product.
Findings and Discussion
It is interesting to note that on-line tourism campaigns can be conducted from Thailand, yet reach the target populations in Europe. As many more people are booking their own holidays now, using the internet to its full extent will keep Thailand as a prime destination. When planning vacations to Asia, however, more people get their information from family and friends than if they were traveling to Europe or America. This implies two things:
- The information available about Thailand on the internet is not easily available, or people feel they cannot trust the information on the internet
- Word-of-mouth is highly important in influencing people to come to Thailand and the activities they pursue once there.
These results show that if the TAT does make promotional efforts on the Internet, in printed media, and with Tourism Agents, they will likely see an increase in tourists from the United Kingdom, as 51% of the respondents indicated that their decisions on holiday destinations are influenced by advertising. Additionally, if people have good experiences in Thailand, word-of-mouth promotion will happen naturally.
The following chart is based on respondents answers to the question of how they think the Tourism Authority of Thailand should best spend their money to improve tourism in Thailand. Most important to tourists is an increase in the Marketing budget. This implies that people think there is not enough advertising of Thailand in the United Kingdom. When this information is gathered with the information above, it is obvious that if Thailand increases its marketing in the United Kingdom, the will increase the number of tourists from the UK.
Additionally, it is interesting that people feel it is important for Thailand to improve its security policies. This indicates that people from the United Kingdom have a small tolerance for risk, ad would like to ensure that their trip be as safe as possible.
Another implication of this data is that advertising can be a successful means of overcoming any negative impressions tourists may hold of Thailand. As the survey reveals, people view natural disasters as the most dangerous risk in visiting Thailand. This is followed by prostitution and the political government. The Tourism Authority of Thailand can emphasize the tsunami early warning system being implemented, thus alleviating many people’s fears. Additionally, they can advertise that despite the fact that a ku de tat did occur, the Thai government can emphasize that the ku was entirely bloodless and peaceful. They could perhaps even turn the ku into a positive aspect, demonstrating that even in the midst of political change, the Thai people love and value peace.
Additionally, 23% of respondents indicated that their main motivations to visit Thailand were for a beach vacation. This fits perfectly with Cooper and Wahab’s model of the 4S’s – Sea-Sun-Sand-Sex view of Seaside attractions. Additionally, 19% of respondents replied that Thailand is a shopping paradise, as fits with the urban model of the 4S’s – Sightseeing-Shopping-Shows-Short Breaks. Cooper and Wahab predict that the future of tourism lies in a third model of the 4s’s – Segmentation-Specialisation-Sophistication-Satisfaction. These are the challenges facing the Tourism Authority of Thailand. As recognized in the literature review, Thailand is working towards these goals already. They have already recognized the need to not be a no-cost tourist destination, and are working towards upscale markets with more disposable income. These tactics should create for Thailand stable tourism revenue in the future.
The study asked participants if they would return to Thailand within 5 years time. A large number of people reported “Yes” and that is a very positive thing. The following chart lists the main reasons people want to return to Thailand:
The main reasons people want to return to Thailand are Tourist Attraction, Hospitality, and Service Facilities. This is wonderful news for Thailand as many of the tourists carry back a very positive image of the country. This promoted the word-of-mouth advertising – one of the main sources of information for tourists to Thailand. This demonstrates that Thailand has been successful in its projection of itself as a tourist haven with good facilities and hospitable people. Additionally, these three elements help Thailand to differentiate itself from other tourist destinations. This will help in the future as Thailand seeks to segment the market, catering to a sophisticated market, and offering specialized services.
A potential problem for Thailand is highlighted with people’s response that it is a low cost destination. Fortunately, only 15% of respondents listed this as their main reason for returning. The low cost aspect, however, is important because it influences people’s decisions. If a vacation in Thailand cost as much as a vacation in Greece, the competition Thailand would be facing would be much steeper. Thailand is a place for good cost effective enjoyable holidays and it is important that perception is maintained in the marketplace. Thailand must be careful when eradicating its “zero-cost” image, that it does not alienate a large base of its supporters.
Review of the Responses in the In-Depth Interview
In the in-depth interview, respondents were asked what they think about Thailand’s image. Most people in the sample group view Thailand as a place that has many natural resources and beautiful places. Water falls, beaches, and mountains were mentioned. Thailand also has a unique cultural and tradition, which the United Kingdom residents love to explore. Especially, Thai people are very kind and friendly. This view of the culture of Thailand is very favorable to tourism. However, the Thai government should be aware of the risks tourism creates for its native population. Over time, the two cultures are destined to influence each other, and the cultural distinctions and differentiations will blur.
The results of the in-depth interview tend to reinforce the results found through the survey, validating the information gathered in the survey. The qualitative information gained from the in-depth interviews, however, was rater disappointing. The respondents did not go into as much detail as the interviewer would have liked.
Of course, people expressed their concern over natural disasters in Thailand, mainly because of the recent tsunami. Moreover, communism and government problems were additional reasons why foreigners did not want to visit Thailand. The respondents indicated that the government should be aware of the problems that led to a tourism decrease. It should aid tourism in Thailand directly. Since these attributes are part of the new plan for the Tourism Authority of Thailand, it seems that the Thai government has already recognized these needs and gaps and is seeking to address these concerns within the government already.
These results also confirm the findings gathered by the survey. The response to the question of why people would not want to return to Thailand clearly follows the same pattern:
Conclusions, Recommendations
The literature available on tourism models and the Thai government show that the Tourism Authority of Thailand is on the correct path for creating and sustaining tourism from the United Kingdom. In fact, it seems as through Thailand could be considered a trendsetter for Tourism promotion. This is important because, as the survey reveals, people have very significant concerns about safety when visiting Thailand. As the literature also shows, Thailand is well aware of this. They are taking concrete steps to make Thailand a safer place and to encourage more people to visit. However, since Thailand is still a developing nation, it will experience more change and fluctuation than already developed nations. Making this slightly less-safe environment palatable to Englishmen may prove a challenge.
This is especially true to due to Thailand’s desire to promote high-budget travel. In this scenario, people will be coming to Thailand to relax, shop, and enjoy resort experiences. If resort areas are subject to natural disasters, people may choose another tourist location in the world that has less risk.
In attracting new tourists to come to Thailand from the United Kingdom, the research strongly supports effective marketing campaigns can create a strong increase of tourists. The United Kingdom tourists have a large expendable income, with a preference for spending money on travel, and also increasing vacation times for relaxation. The Tourism Authority of Thailand can capitalize on these attributes when drawing new tourists to Thailand.
Since international tourism has contributed a significant amount to the Thai economy each year, it should be the responsibility of the Thai government to take compulsory actions to increase this major source of profits. This study may provide ideas and directions for attracting tourists to visit Thailand.
Attracting international tourists requires an incorporated effort from many governmental agencies, not just from the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Problems perceived by most UK tourists, such as disaster, communism, and politics and government, are beyond the influence of the Tourism Authority of Thailand. These problems should be recognized and attended to by policy and decision making forces at the national level.
The conclusions relating to attractions in Thailand proposes that site attractions visited by most UK tourists may not be the main attracting power. The friendliness of Thai people may be of more value to the continuity and improvement of the tourism industry in Thailand. Thus, research on how the available site attractions could be improved to attract foreign tourists should be conducted, while the friendliness of Thai people should be preserved and utilized for the purpose of promotional campaigns.
The categorization of UK tourists into types and geographical regions may help tourist’s agencies better account for some variety in travel patterns and attitudes among tourist groups. For instance, using different sources of information to appeal to tour agencies can help the Tourism Authority of Thailand in planning promotional strategies. Identifying the different attitudes toward prices of food and goods can help travel agencies operators to satisfy their clients. This awareness can be utilized and adapted for different types of tourists to make Thailand a more attractive place to visit.
Continuing research is needed to describe different markets within the United Kingdom as well as markets from other countries. This will be a compulsory to verify that the problems and attractions identified in this study are in fact representative of international tourists to Thailand. Tourists from other countries may reveal additional problems and attitudes that were not identified in this study.
In combination with, or an addition to a study designed to verify and expand knowledge of attracting factors, studies which determine attitudes of potential tourists who have never been to Thailand should be pursued. This will initiate Thailand as a potential destination and will help tourist authorities to gain a better understanding on Thailand as a tourist destination.
The classification of types of tourists and tourists from different geographical regions should be continued. The sample groups represented in this study may identify additional differences that could be used for promotional campaigns.
To conclude, many questionnaire respondents indicated the significance of the potential situation in Thailand that may prevent the visit to the country. Researches concerning the relationship of the political situation and international tourism to Thailand could prove to be of great value.
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