South Korea’s Destination Image in Attitudes of Thai Tourists
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Abstract
This research aims to study the South Korea’s destination image in the attitudes of Thai Tourists and to be a pilot study for destination image promotion for South Korea tourism in the Thai tourist market. This study is quantitative research with a research sample of 528. Regarding South Korea’s destination images, the results are as follows: The strongly agreed images are: South Korea is famous for drama and movie settings, it is a cold country suitable for winter activities, it has high-quality communication
technology, it is famous for its grill menu and the variety local foods and it is a shopping paradise. The agreed images are: South Korea has cultural activity,
transportation is convenient and safe, it is famous for entertaining shows, it has a strict immigration procedure, it has souvenir shops selling Korean stars’ merchandise, the tourist areas are safe, it is a romantic place for lovers, it has a problems with communicating in English, it is famous for historical and cultural places, it has beautiful natural attractions, its buildings and architectures are modern, it offers value-for-money for tourists, it is famous for the local liquor, and it has popular theme parks. The neutral images are: Koreans are friendly, and they have a warmly welcoming personality. In conclusion, there are three major images which affect the Thai tourists’decisions : [1] South Korea is cold, which is good for winter activities, [2] it is a shopping paradise, and [3] it is famous for drama and movie settings which make Thai tourists want to visit those places, respectively.
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