MOTIVATIONS AND BEHAVIORS OF THAI TOURISTS IN CHAE SON NATIONAL PARK
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64186/jsp2682Keywords:
Tourists Behavior, Push Factor, Pull Factor, Tourism, National ParkAbstract
This study investigates the motivational determinants influencing Thai tourists’ decisions to visit and utilize tourism services and proposes evidence-based guidelines for service development. Employing a quantitative research design, the study integrates push–pull motivation theory, destination attribute frameworks (5A’s), the marketing mix (4P’s), and the tourist decision-making process as its conceptual foundation. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to 400 Thai tourists using convenience sampling. Descriptive statistical analysis, including frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, was conducted using SPSS version 23. The findings reveal that tourists’ travel decisions are primarily driven by intrinsic motivations, particularly the desire for novelty and new experiences, followed by physical relaxation needs, cultural learning, social interaction opportunities, and perceived self-enhancement. In terms of pull factors, destination attributes related to accommodation quality and core attractions exert the strongest influence, while accessibility, amenities, and activities play complementary roles. Marketing mix analysis indicates that product-related attributes are the most influential, surpassing price, distribution channels, and promotional strategies. These results highlight the interrelationship between internal motivations and externally perceived destination attributes in shaping tourist behavior.Based on the empirical findings, the study proposes targeted service development strategies, including the enhancement of resting areas, sanitation facilities, water system infrastructure, accessibility for visitors with disabilities, clarity of spatial zoning and signage, parking capacity expansion, and improvements in route accessibility and wayfinding systems. The study contributes to tourism management literature by empirically demonstrating how integrated push–pull motivations and destination attributes inform service development in emerging tourism contexts, offering practical implications for destination planners and service managers.
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