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Social Media Influencers and Thai Tourism Industry: Tourists' Behavior, Travel Motivation, and Influencing Factors |
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| รหัสดีโอไอ | |
| Creator | Apichai Cholprasertsuk |
| Title | Social Media Influencers and Thai Tourism Industry: Tourists' Behavior, Travel Motivation, and Influencing Factors |
| Contributor | Chanathip Lawanwisut, Saneh Thongrin |
| Publisher | คณะศิลปศาสตร์ มหาวิทยาลัยธรรมศาสตร์ |
| Publication Year | 2563 |
| Journal Title | วารสารศิลปศาสตร์ มหาวิทยาลัยธรรมศาสตร์ |
| Journal Vol. | 20 |
| Journal No. | 2 |
| Page no. | 234-263 |
| Keyword | social media influencers, social media influencermarketing, travel decision-making |
| URL Website | https://so03.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/liberalarts/index |
| Website title | วารสารศิลปศาสตร์ มหาวิทยาลัยธรรมศาสตร์ |
| ISSN | 2672-9814 |
| Abstract | Social Media Influencers (SMIs) have become an important feature in various business activities, including tourism. However, very few studies have investigated the role of SMIs in the tourism industry in Thailand. This study aims to explore the impact of SMIs on the Thai tourism industry, focusing on two major research focusses: influences of SMIs on Thai tourists' behavior and travel motivation; and factors of SMI marketing that influences such behavior and travel motivation. To accomplish such goals, we used a mixed-method design in which the data were collected from two major sources: an online questionnaire responded to by 155 participants, and qualitative interviews with eight informants using phone calls. The results showed that most participants (92.30%) have been influenced by SMIs on travel decision-making. Also, among the nine factors influencing tourists' behavior and their travel motivation, participants preferred to seek travel information from tourism influencers with experience and expertise in certain inclusive information (M = 3.47) and from those with credibility (M = 3.37). The findings also indicate the roles that social media influencer marketing takes on a number of aspects in various business sectors, including the tourism industry in Thailand. The findings suggest that social media influencers create significant impacts on consumers' decision-making in the tourism sector, in which most tourists tend to search for reviews or useful information from SMIs regarding travel plans in order to avoid terrible travel experiences. |
