The Guidelines for Eco-Friendly Hotel Experience Design to Support Modern Tourist Behaviors

Abstract

This research aims to study the behaviors and preferences of modern tourists in choosing environmentally friendly hotels, and to propose approaches for designing eco-friendly hotel experiences that align with those behaviors. It is a mixed-methods study, combining both quantitative and qualitative data. For the quantitative part, the sample consists of 400 Thai tourists aged 20 and above. For the qualitative data, key informants include four experts, executives, or operators of environmentally friendly hotels. Research tools include interviews and questionnaires. Descriptive statistics such as frequency distribution, percentage, meaning, and standard deviation are used, along with analytical statistics including t-tests and F-tests. Findings indicate that: 1) The behavior of modern tourists in choosing eco-friendly accommodation varies significantly by personal factors such as education level, occupation, and monthly income (statistically significant at the 0.05 level). However, differences in gender, age, and marital status do not significantly affect accommodation preferences. 2) Preferences for eco-friendly accommodation also vary significantly (at the 0.05 level) depending on travel purposes, length of stay, and booking channels. In contrast, decision-making involvement does not lead to statistically significant differences in preferences. 3) The proposed approach for designing eco-friendly hotel experiences to align with modern tourist behavior emphasizes access to nature, creates new perspectives for guests, and fosters environmental awareness. The concept is summarized under the name “SPA Concept.”