The Destination image of Phuket from the perspective of Thai tourists during Covid-19

Abstract

The excessive reliance on international tourism underscores the fact that Phuket needs to pay more attention to the domestic market, especially during COVID-19. Because Phuket has been heavily affected by Covid-19. In addition to international travel restrictions, nationwide curfews also limit people's mobility. Tourism-related businesses are struggling with customer absences due to rising unemployment, lockdowns, closing borders, affecting low-income and daily incomes. Government assistance has helped boost tourist tourism through campaigns yet, deficient to fully restore Phuket's economy. Additionally, many studies of Phuket as a tourist destination have focused solely on the perception of foreign tourists, very few studies have analyzed the perceptions of Thai tourists. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the destination image perceived by Thai tourists before and during Covid-19, to examine image’s differences in socio-demographic factors as well as examine how tourists who influential by different information sources view those images. In this study, a total of 535 people were surveyed online, with a data collection period of September-December 2021. The questionnaire was distributed according to the proportions of 6 regions classified by TAT. There were the Central, North, Northeast, West, East and South. Data analysis employed different techniques including descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA (Analysis of variance), and paired sample t-test. The findings indicated that Phuket’s images in different attributes vary, when comparing the normal time (before Covid-19) and during the ongoing pandemic. Those attributes include natural resources and environment, cultural history and arts, general infrastructure, social environment, tourist infrastructure, political and economic factors, safety and security and Covid-related risk perception. In addition, Phuket’s images are viewed differently among different socio demographics factors. The findings from this study are important and helpful for policymakers in determining marketing strategies to increase domestic demand and enhance Phuket's image. Restoring domestic tourism is confirmed by numerousstudies as the key to survive in destinations while waiting for the pandemic to end. Phuket may reposition its tourism marketing for alternative source of income generator by attracting Thai tourists from the domestic market and direction of strategies should align with Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs).