FACTOR ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF A WORTH-TRAVELING CITY: PATONG CITY, PHUKET PROVINCE

Abstract

This study aimed to 1) Analyze the components constituting Patong City, Phuket Province, as a worth-traveling city, and 2) Assess Patong City's status as a worth-traveling city across those components. A quantitative approach was employed. The sample comprised 400 key stakeholders in Patong City, including people who have lived in Patong City for more than 10 years, entrepreneurs in Patong City, civil servants/central government officers, and civil servants/local government officers. A questionnaire was utilized as the research instrument. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including exploratory factor analysis (EFA). The results revealed six components comprising 32 variables that explain the construct of a worth-traveling city: 1) tourism carrying capacity management, 2) tourism area management, 3) tourism participation management, 4) tourism innovation management, 5) tourist attractions and activities management, and 6) tourism services management, with a combined percentage variance of 85.453 percent. The overall assessment of Patong City as a worth-traveling city was at a high level ( = 3.86). By dimension, tourism innovation management ( = 4.57), tourism carrying capacity management ( = 4.45), and tourism services management ( = 4.26) were at very high levels; tourism area management ( = 3.73) was at a high level; while tourist attractions and activities management ( = 3.14) and tourism participation management ( = 3.00) were at moderate levels.