FACTORS INFLUENCING ECOTOURISM DECISIONS IN THE BAAN KO MAN AND KO PAI COMMUNITIES, SAM ROI YOT DISTRICT, PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN PROVINCE

Abstract

This research aims to 1) Study the factors influencing the decision to engage in ecotourism in the Ban Ko Mon and Ko Phai communities, Sam Roi Yot District, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province. 2) Examine the relationship between promotional factors and attractive factors that affect the decision to engage in ecotourism in these communities. This is a quantitative study, collecting data from 400 Thai tourists through convenience sampling using a questionnaire. The data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and Pearson correlation analysis.

The study findings revealed that 1) Study the factors influencing the decision to engage in ecotourism in the Ban Ko Mon and Ko Phai communities, Sam Roi Yot District, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province findings revealed that: The travel behavior of the respondents revealed that their primary purpose for traveling was leisure or entertainment. Most travelers were accompanied by friends and primarily used private cars as their mode of transportation. The majority were first-time visitors, spending an average of 1–3 days in the area per trip. Most trips occurred on weekends (Saturday-Sunday). Tourists primarily obtained information about the community through online media such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube influencers. The majority of tourists had an expenditure range of 1,000–3,000 THB per trip. Regarding Thai tourists’ perceptions of the significance of attraction factors influencing their decision to engage in ecotourism in the Ban Ko Mon and Ko Phai communities, Sam Roi Yot District, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, the overall importance level was high. 2) The relationship between promotional factors (public relations) and attraction factors influencing ecotourism decisions in these communities was found to be positively correlated, with statistical significance at the 0.01 level. This indicates that effective tourism promotion in the area contributes to tourists' decisions to visit Ban Ko Mon and Ko Phai communities in Sam Roi Yot District, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province.