Tourists' Service Usage Behavior and the Product Dimension of the Marketing Mix Affecting Hotel and Accommodation Selection in Chiang Mai Province.

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate service usage behavior and the product dimension of the marketing mix affecting tourists’ selection of hotels and accommodations in Chiang Mai Province. Data were collected from a sample of 400 tourists who had previously stayed at hotels in Chiang Mai Province using a convenience sampling method. The research instrument was a questionnaire with an Index of Item–Objective Congruence (IOC) of 0.929 and a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.988. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including percentages, means, and standard deviations, and multiple regression analysis was employed to examine the relationships among the variables.

The findings revealed that most tourists had 5–10 years of hotel stay experience, preferred staying in hotels, traveled with their families, spent between 1,000 and 2,000 THB per night, searched for accommodation information through Booking.com, and primarily traveled for leisure purposes. Five behavioral factors significantly influenced tourists’ hotel and accommodation selection: previous stay experience, accommodation type, travel companions, accommodation expenses, and the timing of stay. In contrast, information sources, travel purpose, and travel activities did not have a statistically significant influence on accommodation selection. Regarding the product dimension of the marketing mix, the findings indicated that the independent variables jointly explained 90.00% of the variance in hotel and accommodation selection. The most influential factors, in descending order, were facilities, safety, atmosphere and aesthetics, and cleanliness. In contrast, room characteristics did not significantly influence tourists’ decisions. Based on these findings, hotel operators should prioritize improving cleanliness standards and facilities as their primary competitive advantages while communicating these values effectively through online channels to better satisfy tourists’ needs and maximize perceived value.