Thailand Cultural Image and Destination Image through the Perception of British Tourists
คำสำคัญ:
British Tourists, Cultural Heritage, Destination Image, Thailand, Thainessบทคัดย่อ
Thailand’s cultural heritage and destination image are essential to determine international tourists’ leisure destinations. Since 2015, the Tourism Authority of Thailand has launched the Discovery Thainess campaign to promote Thailand’s brand image and become a global cultural leisure destination. According to UNWTO Tourism Highlights, United Kingdom was ranked on the 4th international biggest spender in the global tourism market, contributing US$ 64 billions to the global tourism industry. Thus, British tourists were the target group of the study due to their conservative behavior and spending power. 550 British tourists’ attitudes and were collected through questionnaire, followed by a focus group interview. This data were collected at the departure passenger site at Suvarnabhumi International Airport. The result showed that British tourists preferred Thai massage and spa, Thai culture tour, Thai cooking,Thai classical dance, and Thai handmade products. In addition, Thailand was perceived as a terrific destination with freedom and relaxation. Overall, the majority of British tourists’ perceptions towards Thailand were great and they are likely to return to Thailand in the next two years.
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