Travel Behavior of Elderly Thai Tourists Visiting Tourist Destinations in Sisaket

Abstract

This research aimed to study the behavior and needs of Thai elderly tourists visiting tourist destinations in Sisaket Province. Adopted a quantitative research methodology. The samples consisted of 400 elderly Thai tourists, selected through purposive sampling with specific criteria. Data were collected using questionnaires, and data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, including percentages, means, and standard deviations. The findings revealed that, regarding personal factors, the majority of elderly tourists were female (72%), aged between 60 - 65 years (40%), married (69.50%), held a bachelor’s degree (40.75%), were retired government officials (70.00%), and had an average monthly income ranging between 10,001-20,000 baht (33.00%). In terms of travel behavior, the primary purpose of travel was relaxation (82.50%). They traveled twice a year (32.75%) and preferred natural attractions (40%). Travel decisions were mainly influenced by family members/relatives (62.50%), and travel with family/ relatives (72.50%). They commonly arranged their own trips (72.50%), traveled by private car (82.50%), preferred overnight stays (80%) in hotels (47.5%), traveled whenever convenient (70%), spent more than 5,000 baht per trip (37.5%), and obtained travel information primarily through word-of-mouth recommendations from acquaintances (40.50%). Regarding tourism needs, the overall level of need was rated at the highest level (x̅ = 4.75, S.D. = 0.82). The highest level of need was found in the aspect of facilities (x̅ = 4.61, S.D. = 0.79), followed by accommodation (x̅ = 4.69, S.D. = 0.78), activities (x̅ = 4.65, S.D. = 0.79), accessibility (x̅ = 4.49, S.D. = 0.77), and tourist attractions (x̅ = 4.48, S.D. = 0.78), respectively.