A Study of Hotel Websites as Potential Tools to Provide Information about Local Tourism: A Comparison between Hotel Websites in Primary and Secondary Tourist Provinces

Abstract

The objectives of this research are: 1) to compare the extent of information on tourist attractions and tourist activities that are provided on hotel websites and on other online platform websites; 2) to compare the extent of information on tourist attractions and activities provided on hotel websites in regard to primary tourist provinces and secondary tourist provinces. The study employed a desk research method where the researcher gathered online data from hotel websites as well as other online hotel platform websites. The population includes 3-star and 4-star hotels based in six tourist provinces in Thailand. Fifty percent of the samples are hotels based in three primary tourist provinces and the other fifty percent are hotels based in three secondary tourist provinces. The research was conducted during April –September, 2023. The study found that 1) hotel websites provided significantly different information about tourist attractions from other platform websites (sig. 0.000). It was also found that hotels with their own websites provided significantly different information about local tourist activities from other platform websites (sig. 0.000), 2. there was no significantly different information of tourist attractions and tourist activities on hotel websites in primary tourist provinces and secondary tourist provinces.  However, the number of hotels that have own websites in primary tourist provinces are significantly more than hotels that have websites in secondary tourist provinces. This study strongly urges hotels in primary and secondary tourist provinces to create their own websites through which they can provide more information about local tourism attractions and activities in order to induce potential clients to visit the destinations, and have a longer stay at their hotels.