Abstract:
The purpose of this independent study is to investigate lodging selection behavior, personal factors that have correlation with lodging selection behavior, level of significance of marketing factors in the decision making, comparison of the level of significance of marketing factors pertaining to lodging selection behavior of foreigner tourists in Koh Phangan District, Surat Thani, by collecting the data from 400 returned questionnaires of the sample group.
The study shows that most of the respondents are single male, European residents with the age between 25¬35 years old. They are university graduates with a bachelor's degree and work for private companies. Their average income is USD 20,000 to USD39, 999. The purpose of the visit is to have a vacation and they believe Koh Phangan is peaceful and private. The majority of tourists choose 2 star hotels and spends on average 500¬999 baht per night. The preferred method of payment is cash. Their preferred style of accommodation is Thai style housing located near the beach front. Most foreign tourists travel in pair, usually with a friend or lover, so that they preferred accommodation with a double bed. The lodging information is obtained from the Internet. Most of the foreign tourists do not reserve the accommodation in advance. Where they make any reservation, they make it through the Internet. The reservation will be made in their countries. The main reasons for lodging reservation are convenience and time. Most foreign tourists spend about 5¬8 days on the island. European tourists stay the longest. However, Middle East tourists spend most during the visit. Most tourists spend most of their expenses on lodging.
From the study, it is found that there are 8 marketing factors important to these foreigner tourists such as product elements, price and other user cost, place, promotion and education, people, process, physical evidence, and productivity and quality. Overall, most tourists gave the highest level of importance to people. It was followed by productivity and quality, price and other user cost, process, promotion and education, and physical evidence respectively. As for the level of significance of place, foreign tourists ranked it as moderate.
From hypothesis testing of personal factors have correlation on lodging selection behavior at the level 95.00. it is found personal factors such as gender, place of residence, age, marital status, education, occupation, and income have correlation on lodging selection behavior.
From hypothesis testing of the level of significance of 8 marketing factors by personal factors at the confidence level of 95.00. it is found that male and female tourists ranked the level of significance for marketing factors such as people, process, and physical evidence differently. Tourists who have different places of residence ranked the level of significance of 8 marketing factors differently. In addition, different age groups ranked the level of significance of 8 marketing factors differently with the exception of productions elements. Tourists with different marital status ranked the level of significance of 8 marketing factors differently. Lastly, tourists with different education levels, occupations and annual income did not ranks the eight marketing factors differently.
WALAILAK UNIVERSITY. CENTER FOR LIBRARY RESOURCES AND EDUCATIONAL MEDIA