GUIDELINES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SPORTS TOURISM IN CHON BURI PROVINCE BASED ON TOURISTS’ NEEDS

Abstract

This research aimed to examine the influence of sports tourism components on tourists’ needs for sports tourism in Chon Buri Province and to propose guidelines for sports tourism development in Chon Buri Province based on those needs. A mixed-methods approach was employed. The quantitative phase used a questionnaire to collect data from a sample of 210 Thai tourists who traveled to participate in sports-related activities in Chon Buri Province. The qualitative phase employed semi-structured interviews to collect data from five key informants. Quantitative data were analyzed using percentage, mean, standard deviation, and multiple regression analysis, while qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis. The hypothesis testing revealed that the tourism components of sports tourism in Chon Buri Province significantly influenced tourists’ needs (Sig. = 0.001). The results of the multiple regression analysis showed that the multiple correlation coefficient (R) was .886 and the Adjusted R Square was .780, indicating that the tourism components could predict the dependent variable at 78 percent, with statistical significance at the 0.05 level. The guidelines for the development of sports tourism in Chon Buri Province based on tourists’ needs consist of six stages: 1) analyzing the context and potential of the area, 2) developing the sports tourism components (5A’s), 3) integrating management and collaboration, 4) integrating management and collaboration among all sectors, 5) developing sports events and 6) implementing strategic marketing, and monitoring, evaluation, and sustainable development