Does COVID-free Matter in the Post COVID-19 Era? The Tourist’s Perspective on Thailand’s Wellness Tourism Destination Brand: A Structural Equation Model Study
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Thailand’s tourism industry, which was growing constantly before the hit of COVID-19 pandemic, suffered a significant downturn resulting in the contraction in GDP and a rise in unemployment. However, with the risen popularity in wellness tourism and the country’s strengths in wellness industry, this current research entitled “Does COVID-free Matter in the Post COVID-19 Era? The Tourist’s Perspective on Thailand’s Wellness Tourism Destination Brand: A Structural Equation Model Study” investigated the communication message for Thailand’s wellness tourism destination branding in the context of the post-COVID-19 era. The research utilized quantitative method, surveyed 408 international tourists who visited Thailand with wellness purpose, and analyzed with a structural equation model to examine various factors related to wellness tourism in Thailand, including the perception of the wellness tourism destination brand, attitude towards Thailand’s wellness tourism brand, COVID-19 related factors, and the selection of Thailand as a wellness destination. The study found that Thailand performed exceptionally well in the reflection, self-image, and culture facets, indicating strong potential in these areas due to its rich cultural heritage and local wisdom that resonated well with tourists. However, improvements are needed in the physique, personality, and relationship facets to meet tourists' expectations and enhance competitiveness in the wellness tourism market. Regarding post-crisis communication, explicitly mentioning the COVID-19 crisis may not be necessary. Instead, focusing on the cultural and other aspects to meet tourists’ expectations is crucial to restore Thailand's reputation as a wellness tourism destination.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
References
Avraham, E. (2006). Public relations and advertising strategies for managing tourist destination image crises. In Y. Mansfeld & A. Pizam (Eds.), Tourism, security and safety: From theory to practice (pp. 233-250). Elsevier.
Griffin, A. (2014). Crisis, issues and reputation management. Kogan Page Limited.
Henderson, J. C. (2007). Tourism Crises: Causes, Consequences and Management. Elsevier Inc.
Hongjanya, K. (2019). Nation branding based on semiotic analysis: A case study of Thailand brand. (Doctoral dissertation). National Institute of Development Administration, Thailand.
Kapferer, J. N. (2008). The new strategic brand management - creating and sustaining brand equity long term. Kogan Page.
Morgan, N., Pritchard, A., & Pride, R. (2004). Destination branding : creating the unique destination proposition (2nd ed.). Elsevier.
Ngudgratoke, S. (2019). Stuctural Equation Model for Social Science Research [Powerpoint Slide]. Bangkok, TH, National Institute of Development Administration.
Simon, H. (2020). COVID-19 and Travel : Impacts, Responses and Outcomes. Goodfellow Publishers.
Thailand Medical Hub of Department of Health Service Support. (2019). The Report on Research and Survey of Thailand's Medical and Wellness Services for Supporting Medical Hub Policy. Bangkok, Thailand: Pimtunjai.
Weiler, B., & Hall, C. M. (1992). Special interest tourism. Belhaven Press.
Online
Avraham, E., & Ketter, E. (2017, 2017/07/24). Destination marketing during and following crises: combating negative images in Asia. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 34(6), 709-718. https://doi.org/10.1080/10548408.2016.1237926
Balakrishnan Nair, B., & Sinha, S. (2020). COVID-19 and future travel decisions: How do the destination-choice-based motivators redefine tourist's choices? Enlightening Tourism, 10(2), 17.
Berrozpe, A., Campo, S., & Yagüe, M. J. (2017, 2017/10/13). Understanding the identity of Ibiza, Spain. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 34(8), 1033-1046. https://doi.org/10.1080/10548408.2016.1272525
Campiranon, K. (2009). Critical success factors of crisis management in tourism: A case study of political crisis in Thailand (Research Report). Retrieved from https://libdoc.dpu.ac.th/research/132990
Chakraborty, I., & Maity, P. (2020, 2020/08/01/). COVID-19 outbreak: Migration, effects on society, global environment and prevention. Science of The Total Environment, 728. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138882
Charumilind, S., Craven, M., Lamb, J., Sabow, A., & Wilson, M. (2020). When will the COVID-19 pandemic end? Retrieved 18 January 2021, from https://mckinsey.com/industries/healthcare-systems-and-services/our-insights/when-will-the-covid-19-pandemic-end
Chebli, A., & Foued, B. S. (2020, 07/21). The impact of covid-19 on tourist consumption behaviour : A perspective article. Journal of Tourism Management Research, 7, 169-207. https://doi.org/10.18488/journal.31.2020.72.196.207
Colmekcioglu, N., Dineva, D., & Lu, X. (2022). “Building back better”: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the resilience of the hospitality and tourism industries. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 34(11), 4103-4122. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-12-2021-1509
Gopalakrishnan, B. N., Peters, R., & Vanzetti, D. (2020). Covid-19 and tourism: Assessing the economic consequences. https://unctad.org/webflyer/covid-19-and-tourism-assessing-economic-consequences#:~:text=The%20COVID%2D19%20pandemic% 20has,disruptions%20in%20the%20global%20economy.&text=In%20some%20countries%2C%20unemployment%20could,is%20up%20to%20one%20year.
Hashemi, S., Jusoh, J., Kiumarsi, S., & Mohammadi, S. (2015). Influence factors of spa and wellness tourism on revisit intention: The mediating role of international tourist motivation and tourist satisfaction. International Journal of Research, 3(7), 1-11.
Kim, E., Chiang, L., & Tang, L. (2017, 2017/09/02). Investigating wellness tourists’ motivation, engagement, and loyalty: in search of the missing link. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 34(7), 867-879. https://doi.org/10.1080/10548408.2016.1261756
Kongtaveesawas, N., Prasarnphanich, P., Sinthupinyo, S., & Ashton, A. S. (2022). Attribute Framework Validation for Wellness Tourism within the Context of Thailand. Sustainability, 14(10), 5953. https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/10/5953
Languepin, O. (2020, 12 May). 2020 Tourist Arrivals Forecast cut to 14 million. Thailand Business News. https://www.thailand-business-news.com/tourism/79170-2020-tourist-arrivals-forecast-cut-to-14-million.html
Li, M., & Cai, L. A. (2012). The Effects of Personal Values on Travel Motivation and Behavioral Intention. Journal of Travel Research, 51(4), 473-487. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287511418366
Mokhtarian, P., Salomon, I., & Singer, M. (2015, 03/06). What Moves Us? An Interdisciplinary Exploration of Reasons for Traveling. Transport Reviews, 35. https://doi.org/10.1080/01441647.2015.1013076
Prommahaa, J. (2015). Destination branding: Brand management and brand engagement of health and wellness tourism in Thailand and the ASEAN region. Sociology, 5(8), 653-675.