The Method of Social Network Analysis for Studying Tourist Destination Networks

Abstract

This article examines the methods used in analyzing tourist destination network through the concept of social network analysis using a literature review method. The purpose of this study is to investigate the methods and network analysis models used in tourism planning, as well as to explore the direction of current research on tourism networks. The findings suggest that the analysis of tourist destination networks is still a relatively under-researched area in network studies related to tourism. The analysis of tourist destination networks employs the method of measuring centrality value as a means of studying the role through computer software. In this study, nodes in the network represent tourist destinations, and edges represent the travel routes between them. Moreover, most research studies conducted abroad also emphasize the study of the diversity of situations and the differences in data to enhance a better understanding of network patterns. In contrast, Thailand's research is limited by data collection constraints. To conduct network analysis in Thailand, the data must be a large and clear travel point-to-point pattern, such as a Call Detail Record (CDR), which displays apparent tourist behavior and network patterns. The expected benefit from this study extends the tourist destination network to spatial planning for efficient tourism policy-making.