Marketing promotion of cultural tourism development in Nakhon Ratchasima Province.

Abstract

          The objectives of this research were to study personal factors that were related to tourists’ motivation of choosing in cultural attractions and marketing promotion for cultural tourism development in Nakhon Ratchasima Province. The quantitative samples were 400 Thai tourists who visited Nakhon Ratchasima. The convenience sampling was made, and data were collected by questionnaires. Reliability test of the questionnaire was carried out by making a comparison between the accidental group and a homogeneous group of 40 participants. The Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient was 0.80, then employed the questionnaires into the data collection process. The descriptive and inference statistical approaches were used for data analysis. Additionally, the qualitative research, in-depth interviewing were conducted as the process of the data collection with the participants who involved with the tourism promotion in Nakhon Ratchasima. The researchers determined the sample group with purposive sampling techniques by assigning 4 quota sectors of 16 participants including government, private, community and academic sectors. The content analysis was employed to come up with research findings.

          This study revealed that the motivating factors that influenced the tourists’ choosing cultural tourism in Nakhon Ratchasima were the motivation to learn new things. The factor that motivated them to travel in Nakhon Ratchasima was the travel convenience. The result derived from the qualitative research was as follows: tourism products promotion through linking the tourist attractions in the province, non-determining of product prices, prioritization of transportation development, using the social media in marketing promotion, maintaining the identities of tourist attractions, products payment via application and customer service personnel training.