Journal article
Visitor and non-visitor images of Thailand as a backpacking destination: an Australian perspective
Anatolia : an international journal of tourism and hospitality research, Vol.29(2), pp.278-281
03/04/2018
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Abstract
This note examines and explains the perception of Thailand as a backpacking destination from the perspective of Australian citizens, explicitly differentiated by their experiences as (past) visitors or non-visitors. Tourist destination image is defined as “the sum of beliefs, ideas and impressions that a person has of a destination” (Crompton, 1979, p. 18). It is a key determinant of destination choice (Prayag, 2009) formed through several factors (e.g. media, reference groups, personal experience). A previous visit is a powerful determinant in forming such an image (Pavesi, Gartner, & Denizci‐Guillet, 2016).
When tourists are content with a destination, they are more likely to return and refer it through word-of-mouth (WOM) to less familiar others (Akhoondnejad, 2015). Understanding image perception(s) of both visitors and non-visitors can aid policy advisors in designing useful messages aimed at capturing different visitor types (Hoang, 2013). Many studies focus on the assessment of destination image perceptions, but, with minimal exception (see Bianchi & Milberg, 2016; Cherifi, Smith, Maitland, & Stevenson, 2014), these predominantly exclude non-visitors (Pike, 2015). This note seeks, in part, to close that gap within the backpacking market of Thailand, arguably assisting the Ministry of Tourism in their pursuit of sustainable development within the ASEAN accord (ADBI, 2014).
Thailand is part of the well-established South-east Asian trail which attracts backpackers from all over the world (Huxley, 2013). Despite the significance of backpacker tourism to Thailand, its image as a destination remains largely overlooked. Among Thailand’s international arrival receipts, Australia is reported in the top three nations (Tourism Economic Review, 2014), with their daily trip spend (5587.14 Baht or US$ 157) recorded the highest (Department of Tourism, 2016). Australian citizens therefore justify the participant focus.
Details
- Title
- Visitor and non-visitor images of Thailand as a backpacking destination: an Australian perspective
- Creators
- Supattra Sroypetch - Faculty of Business Administration, Department of Tourism, Khon Kaen University , Nong Khai, ThailandRodney W Caldicott - School of Business and Tourism, Southern Cross University , Lismore, AustraliaNeil Carr - Department of Tourism, University of Otago , Dunedin, New Zealand
- Publication Details
- Anatolia : an international journal of tourism and hospitality research, Vol.29(2), pp.278-281
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- Identifiers
- 991012926963702368
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Business, Law and Arts
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article