TOURIST BEHAVIOR TOWARD LESS VISITED AREA IN THE EASTERN REGION AFTER THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

This article aims to study 1) Tourist behaviors toward Less Visited Area in the Eastern Region after the COVID-19 pandemic; 2) Examine the marketing components of tourism in Less Visited Area in the Eastern Region and 3) Analyze the demographic characteristics that influence tourist behaviors toward Less Visited Area in the Eastern Region after the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample group for this research consists of 328 Thai tourists who traveled to Chanthaburi, Trat, and Prachinburi provinces. Data were collected through questionnaires and analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The research findings revealed as following: 1) Most tourists traveled by private car for leisure trips with their families during weekends. The average expenditure per trip was 8,872.41 baht, an average accommodation cost of 1,472.71 baht per night. The average planning time for trips was 13.71 days; 2) Key tourism components of tourism in Less Visited Area in the Eastern Region include: a variety of accommodation options, reasonable food and beverage costs, convenience in contacting and booking accommodations, readily available information and reviews about attractions across various platforms, friendly and hospitable locals, and high standards of accommodation services, all these factors were rated highly by tourists and 3) Differences in demographic factors such as gender, age, monthly income, highest education level, occupation, and region significantly influenced tourist behavior toward Less Visited Area in the Eastern Region after the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings provide the guideline for developing effective marketing strategies, enhancing tourist attractions by leveraging the province's potential and designing tourism activities that align with changing tourist behaviors.