ANALYSIS AND COMPARISON OF CREATIVE TOURISM NEEDS OF TOURISTS IN AMPHAWA CLASSIFIED BY DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS

Abstract

This study aimed to 1) Analyze the level of creative tourism needs among tourists in Amphawa District, 2) Compare these needs based on demographic characteristics, and 3) Propose guidelines for the development of creative tourism activities. A quantitative research approach was employed. Data were collected using questionnaires administered to 400 Thai tourists. The data were analyzed using percentages, means, standard deviations, independent samples t-tests, and one-way analysis of variance (One-Way ANOVA) at a significance level of 0.05. The findings revealed that most respondents were female (61.0%), aged 31 - 40 years (37.0%), held a bachelor’s degree (63.0%), had a monthly income of 25,001 - 35,000 baht (35.0%), were married (56.0%), and worked in private companies (42.0%). Overall, the level of creative tourism need was high ( = 3.87, S.D. = 0.69). Floating market attractions showed the highest level of demand ( = 4.28, S.D. = 0.62), followed by religious tourism attractions ( = 3.85, S.D. = 0.71), local community lifestyle attractions ( = 3.72, S.D. = 0.68), and arts and historical attractions ( = 3.64, S.D. = 0.74), respectively. The comparative analysis indicated statistically significant differences in creative tourism needs based on age (F = 3.18, p = 0.014), educational level (F = 4.52, p = 0.004), income (F = 3.87, p = 0.010), and place of residence (F = 2.94, p = 0.020). However, no significant differences were found across gender, marital status, or occupation. Based on the findings, this study proposes development guidelines including the design of group-specific activities, the development of tourism routes aligned with income levels, the promotion of value co-creation between local communities and tourism operators, the enhancement of learning-based tourism experiences, and the use of demographic data for systematic and sustainable tourism marketing and planning.