International visitor perception of cultural heritage for tourism development on the island of Phuket, Thailand: A marketing mix approach

Abstract

Scope and Method of Study: The factors for tourists to make a decision to select Phuket, Thailand as a cultural heritage destination was researched to glean information regarding cultural heritage site selection. The specific objectives of the research were to (1) identify the underlying dimensions of factors influencing tourists' decisions to visit a cultural heritage tourism destination (2) classify and segment the cultural heritage tourism market (3) develop the marketing strategy of the cultural heritage destinations. Data was collected by utilizing a self administrative questionnaire. Quantitative research methodology was applied to research paradigm. Descriptive Statistics such as Mean, Standard Deviation, and ANOVA and Multivariate methods such as MANOVA, Factor Analysis, and Cluster Analysis was used to determine the objective of this study.

Findings and Conclusions: The sample size consisted of 400 respondents. Of these respondents 53.5% were female. Most of the respondents were married (56.9%) and travel with their family (49%). The major findings indicated the international visitors have somewhat different influence level of factors to make decisions to select Phuket, Thailand as a cultural heritage destination. The development of marketing strategies for cultural heritage tourism in Phuket island of Thailand should regard the potentiality of the destination in being a cultural heritage tourist attraction.