Causal Model Relationships Affecting Thai Tourists' Desire to Travel and Revisit Ko Kut in the Context of Perceived Risks from the COVID-19 Situation
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Abstract
The objective of this research was to develop and examine the causal relationships model influencing Thai tourists’ intention to travel and revisit to Koh Kood under the perceived risks from the COVID-19 situation. This study employed a quantitative research design. Data were collected randomly from a sample of 401 Thai tourists who had traveled to Koh Kood, Trat Province, and were analysed using MIMIC model.
The results revealed that the causal model developed based on the hypothesis was consistent with the empirical data. The relative chi-squared value (CMIN/DF) was 1.94, the goodness-of-fit index (GFI) was 0.93, and the comparative fit index (CFI) was 0.96, the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) was 0.04, and the normed fit Index (NFI) was 0.92. The findings revealed that tourists’ willingness to travel and their intention to revisit after they were aware of the risks associated with traveling were statistically significant at the 0.05 level. Factors influencing perceived risk included pre-travel impression, travel intentions, and self-awareness of travel-related risks, with positive path coefficients (β) of 0.66, 0.25, and 0.21, respectively. Together, these three factors explained 97% of the variance in perceived travel risk (R² = 0.97). The findings of this study can serve as a practical guideline for entrepreneurs or stakeholders in the area to enhance service delivery, as well as to prepare through the formulation of policies and plans aimed at raising awareness of travel-related risk that tourists may encounter during their travels.
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