Spa Guests’ Behavior towards Spa Service Selection in Surat Thani Province

Abstract

The research aimed to investigate the guests’ selection behavior, marketing factors, relationship between personal factors and behavior, and mixture of marketing factors and behavior of spa service selection in Surat Thani. The samples were 385 spa guests. Close-ended and open-ended questionnaires were constructed to collect the data which were later analyzed using percentage, mean, standard deviation, and chi-square.

The study revealed most respondents were Thai females aging 31 - 35. They were Buddhists and their marital status was married. They completed the bachelor degree and earn for a living as officers at private companies with the salary of more than 30,000 baht. Their preference in using spa was oil massage and took 2 hours each time. They made their own decision to have the spa for relaxing and anxiety reduction. They went to the spa once or twice a month with each expense of 500 - 1,000 baht.

Marketing factors influenced the behavior of spa selection at a low level in all aspects; from distribution channels, marketing supports, products, prices, services, physical aspects, and personnel. The analysis of personal factors and spa selection behavior indicated that genders, ages, marital statuses, religions, nationalities, seniorities, and incomes related to the behavior of selection in terms of types, places, duration, reasons of selection, and stakeholders. In addition, the relationship between marketing factors and spa selection behavior in the aspects of products, prices, distribution channels, marketing supports, personnel, service process, and physical aspects concern the behavior in terms of places and stakeholders. However, the research found the problems of parking, masseurs’ English proficiency, spa data retrieval, prices, skills, and standards.