Factors Influencing the Decision of Thai Visitors to Travel to Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand, Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic from the end of 2019 to the end of 2021 resulted in the tourism industry of Thailand being negatively affected. Almost every province in the northeastern region has been severely impacted, with Nakhon Ratchasima Province experiencing a reduction in Thai visitors of up to 38%. Consequently, entrepreneurs and other people in Nakhon Ratchasima Province relying on tourism for a living have experienced income loss and a deterioration in their quality of life. Therefore, this study aims to determine the factors influencing the decision of Thai visitors to travel to Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, to identify the important factors for tourism development in the area using primary data collected via a questionnaire. A sample of 400 Thai visitors were asked to complete the questionnaire between March and December 2021, with the collected data then analysed using the following statistical values: frequency, percentage, standard deviation, mean, and a logistic model (or binary logistic regression) according to the statistical significance level of 0.01. The suitability of the logistic model was determined based on the statistical values of a -2log likelihood (Cox and Snell R2; Nagelkerke R2; Hosmer and Lemeshow), with 87.30% accuracy. The results indicated that the following factors influenced the decision of Thai visitors to travel to Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand, amid the COVID-19 epidemic: 1) Gender; 2) Average income per month; 3) The safety of the province in terms of health and protecting life, including property; 4) There are many tourist attractions within a short distance which are easy to travel to; 5) Accommodation prices are reasonable; 6) Goods and souvenir prices are reasonable; 7) The prices for visiting attractions are reasonable; 8) Tourist attractions have an effective and suitable infrastructure; 9) Tourist attractions are safe in terms of health and protecting life; 10) Tourist attractions have strict and effective measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19; 11) Tourist attractions have appropriate goods and souvenirs; 12) The promotion of price reduction for accommodation; and 13) The promotion of various privileges for visitors.