Thai Tourist Commitment And Loyalty To Travel By Sea

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to study factors influencing Thai tourist loyalty concerning travel by sea to create a competitive advantage and value added to seaside attractions. This research employs quantitative analysis. The researcher collected data by interviewing 440 Thai tourists in three seaside locations: Pattaya, Hua-Hin and Samed. The results show that the majority of respondents are female, aged between 25 and 34 years old.  They are a) single with bachelor degrees, b) employed in the private sector with monthly incomes over THB25,001 and c) resident in Bangkok. The results of testing the hypotheses are as follows:

1.         The developed structural equation model of attitudinal loyalty towards seaside attractions in Pattaya was congruent with empirical data as the criterion as follows: (?² = 486.091, df = 174, GFI = .909, AGFI = .879, RMSEA = .064, RMR = .063 and CFI = .960).  Factors influencing loyalty towards seaside attractions in Pattaya, include the following: a) affective commitment showed the highest level of direct influence = .688 and b) continuance commitment with direct influence = .328 with statistical significance at the .001 level.  Satisfaction with seaside attractions has an indirect influence equal to .743 with statistical significance at the .001 level.

2.         The developed structural equation model of attitudinal loyalty towards seaside attractions in Hua-Hin, as developed by the researcher, includes goodness of fit with empirical data (?² =472.086, df = 173, GFI = .909, AGFI = .878, RMSEA = .063, RMR = .072 and CFI = .952). Affective commitment has a direct influence on attitudinal loyalty = .724, followed by continuance commitment = .276 with statistical significance at the .001 level. Satisfaction with seaside attractions has an indirect influence equal to .570 with statistical significance at the .001 level.

3. The developed structural equation model of attitudinal loyalty towards seaside attractions in Samed is congruent with empirical data (?² = 503.853, df = 172, GFI = .900, AGFI = .866, RMSEA = .066, RMR = .080 and CFI = .953).  Affective commitment shows a level of direct influence = .646, followed by continuance commitment = .328 with statistical significance at the .001 level. Satisfaction with seaside attractions has an indirect influence =.547 with statistical significance at the .001 level.