The Causal Effect of the Decision-Making for Accommodations of Thai Tourists in the Upper Southern Region of Thailand During the COVID-19 Situation
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Abstract
The research objective was to investigate the causal effect of the decision-making in choosing accommodations for Thai tourists in the upper southern region of Thailand during the COVID-19 situation. It was the quantitative research. The research population was Thai tourists in the upper southern region of Thailand who stayed overnight at the hotel in the upper southern region of Thailand consisting of Chumphon, Ranong, Krabi, Phangnga, Phuket, Surat Thani, and Nakhon Si-Thammarat. The research sample was 400 respondents who were selected by purposive and snowball sampling techniques. Data were collected by online questionnaires with reliability regarding government policy, destination image, service marketing mix, and decision-making of .832, .934, .961, and .749, respectively. The data were analysed by applying the structural equation model (SEM). The research study found that the model fits data very well; Chi-square (X2) = 866.20, p-value = 0.00, X2/df = 1.626, RMSEA = .040, GFI = .913, CFI = 0.965. The causal effect of choosing accommodation consisted of government policy (0.11), destination image (0.58), and service marketing mix (0.40). These three factors positively impacted the decision-making to choose accommodations for tourists during COVID-19. Interestingly, destination image was the highest effect on choosing accommodation for Thai tourists during the pandemic. Furthermore, the measurement of the service marketing mix during the pandemic was only product, price, people, and promotion, contradicting the classic 7Ps. Therefore, the local and national governments should emphasize building a destination image related to the safety of the pandemic resulting in boosting tourist confidence to visit. Accommodation marketers should emphasize product, price, people, and promotion during the pandemic.
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