FACTORS INFLUENCING HOTEL BUSINESS PERFORMANCE IN THE GULF OF THAILAND

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the factors influencing the performance of hotel businesses in the Gulf of Thailand coastal area, covering Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, and Songkhla provinces. A quantitative research approach was employed using a survey research design. The sample consisted of 362 hotel owners and managers, determined using Yamane’s sample size formula and selected through convenience sampling. The research instrument was a questionnaire that was validated for content validity by experts and demonstrated high reliability, with Cronbach’s Alpha coefficients exceeding 0.70 Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis. The results revealed that government support, innovation, and risk management had positive and statistically significant effects on hotel business performance. Government support exerted the strongest influence (  = 0.349, Sig. = 0.000), followed by innovation (  = 0.249, Sig. = 0.000) and risk management (  = 0.230, Sig. = 0.000). In contrast, digital marketing was found to have no statistically significant effect on hotel performance. The overall model fit showed a correlation coefficient (R) of 0.789 and a coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.623, indicating that the independent variables explained 62.3% of the variance in hotel business performance. The findings indicate that government support, innovation, and risk management are key factors in enhancing hotel performance and strengthening competitive advantage in the Gulf of Thailand coastal area. These results also provide important implications for policy direction, spatial development, and systematic long-term strategic decision-making, and can serve as strategic guidelines for hotel operators and relevant stakeholders to promote sustainable development in the hotel business sector.