Tourist Satisfaction in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Thailand: A Comparative Study
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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the difference in tourist satisfaction based on demographic characteristics among tourists who visited Nakhon Si Thammarat, a second-tier province in Thailand. A quantitative method was employed in which data were collected from 356 tourists using convenience sampling. Online-based self-administered questionnaires were distributed through social media platforms. Independent samples t-test and one-way ANOVA were used to evaluate hypotheses. There were significant differences in tourist satisfaction based on age, gender, educational level, and occupation. The findings imply that local business owners should serve tourists with appropriate attributes across various demographic groups. The study also provides important insights for researchers to further understand the differences in tourist satisfaction based on demographic variables. Particularly, government agencies and policy makers should recognize that there are differences in tourist satisfaction based on demographic characteristics. This study also contributes to the current literature as it extends the expectancy disconfirmation theory. Finally, this study highlights some limitations that open up avenues for future research.
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