Exploring the Impact of Tourist Motivations on Thailand's Gastronomic Tourism: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of tourist motivations on Thailand's appeal as a gastronomic tourism destination, addressing a gap in the existing literature by examining the specific factors that attract tourists to the country's culinary offerings. The primary research objective is to identify and analyze the motivations driving tourists to choose Thailand as a gastronomic destination, while also assessing the implications of these motivations for tourism stakeholders. Data was collected from 163 valid participants who had experiences with Thailand's gastronomic tourism. Using a combination of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, this study identifies four distinct factors that contribute to tourism motivation in Thailand: social interaction with novelty, relaxation, regression, and escape from boredom. Structural equation modeling is then employed to analyze the relationships between these factors and Thailand's appeal as a gastronomic tourism destination. The results indicate that social interaction with novelty, regression, and escape from boredom have a significant positive effect on Thailand's gastronomic destination, while relaxation is found to have no significant impact. These findings challenge existing assumptions about the role of relaxation in tourists' destination choices and provide valuable insights for tourism stakeholders seeking to capitalize on the growing popularity of gastronomic tourism. This research contributes to the understanding of gastronomic tourism motivations in Thailand, offering valuable insights for tourism stakeholders and paving the way for further exploration and understanding of the factors driving tourists' destination choices in the context of gastronomic tourism.