Understanding the Perceptions of Asian University Students Toward Thai Tourism Destinations: The Cases of Phuket and Pattaya

This study investigates Asian university students’ perceptions of Phuket and Pattaya, emphasizing city image, defining attributes, information exposure, familiarity, and travel intentions. Using a quantitative survey with 3,432 online respondents, the study reveals that Phuket consistently outperfor...

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Main Authors: Kanyika Shaw, Nutthapon Jitprapai, Jantima Kheokao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: ANPOR Korea 2025-02-01
Series:Asian Journal for Public Opinion Research
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.15206/ajpor.2025.13.1.122
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author Kanyika Shaw
Nutthapon Jitprapai
Jantima Kheokao
author_facet Kanyika Shaw
Nutthapon Jitprapai
Jantima Kheokao
author_sort Kanyika Shaw
collection DOAJ
description This study investigates Asian university students’ perceptions of Phuket and Pattaya, emphasizing city image, defining attributes, information exposure, familiarity, and travel intentions. Using a quantitative survey with 3,432 online respondents, the study reveals that Phuket consistently outperforms Pattaya across four dimensions. Tourism and recreation findings show Phuket as more vibrant and diverse in activities. In authenticity and atmosphere, Phuket is slightly favored for its friendliness and cleanliness. Both cities score similarly in economic factors, with Phuket being slightly more navigable. In environmental and safety factors, Phuket is viewed as safer and more climate-friendly, though both cities are crowded. Path analysis was utilized to investigate the relationship between information exposure, familiarity, and visitation intentions. The findings reveal that information exposure significantly affects visitation intentions, both directly and indirectly, with familiarity serving as a critical mediator. Increased information exposure enhances familiarity, which, in turn, strengthens the intention to visit the cities. To elevate destination appeal, recommendations include targeted marketing via diverse media, highlighting authentic experiences, and addressing safety and authenticity concerns. These strategies can enhance Phuket and Pattaya's competitive edge in tourism.
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spelling doaj-art-ccfda3aa644b4718a23d5a05001d2e652025-08-20T03:16:21ZengANPOR KoreaAsian Journal for Public Opinion Research2288-61682025-02-0113110.15206/ajpor.2025.13.1.122Understanding the Perceptions of Asian University Students Toward Thai Tourism Destinations: The Cases of Phuket and PattayaKanyika ShawNutthapon JitprapaiJantima KheokaoThis study investigates Asian university students’ perceptions of Phuket and Pattaya, emphasizing city image, defining attributes, information exposure, familiarity, and travel intentions. Using a quantitative survey with 3,432 online respondents, the study reveals that Phuket consistently outperforms Pattaya across four dimensions. Tourism and recreation findings show Phuket as more vibrant and diverse in activities. In authenticity and atmosphere, Phuket is slightly favored for its friendliness and cleanliness. Both cities score similarly in economic factors, with Phuket being slightly more navigable. In environmental and safety factors, Phuket is viewed as safer and more climate-friendly, though both cities are crowded. Path analysis was utilized to investigate the relationship between information exposure, familiarity, and visitation intentions. The findings reveal that information exposure significantly affects visitation intentions, both directly and indirectly, with familiarity serving as a critical mediator. Increased information exposure enhances familiarity, which, in turn, strengthens the intention to visit the cities. To elevate destination appeal, recommendations include targeted marketing via diverse media, highlighting authentic experiences, and addressing safety and authenticity concerns. These strategies can enhance Phuket and Pattaya's competitive edge in tourism.https://doi.org/10.15206/ajpor.2025.13.1.122
spellingShingle Kanyika Shaw
Nutthapon Jitprapai
Jantima Kheokao
Understanding the Perceptions of Asian University Students Toward Thai Tourism Destinations: The Cases of Phuket and Pattaya
Asian Journal for Public Opinion Research
title Understanding the Perceptions of Asian University Students Toward Thai Tourism Destinations: The Cases of Phuket and Pattaya
title_full Understanding the Perceptions of Asian University Students Toward Thai Tourism Destinations: The Cases of Phuket and Pattaya
title_fullStr Understanding the Perceptions of Asian University Students Toward Thai Tourism Destinations: The Cases of Phuket and Pattaya
title_full_unstemmed Understanding the Perceptions of Asian University Students Toward Thai Tourism Destinations: The Cases of Phuket and Pattaya
title_short Understanding the Perceptions of Asian University Students Toward Thai Tourism Destinations: The Cases of Phuket and Pattaya
title_sort understanding the perceptions of asian university students toward thai tourism destinations the cases of phuket and pattaya
url https://doi.org/10.15206/ajpor.2025.13.1.122
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