| dc.description.abstract | The purposes of this study were (1) to assess the sports tourism policy of
Thailand, (2) to classify behaviors and needs of the visiting tourists at Thai League soccer
matches, (3) to evaluate the readiness of Thailand in accommodating soccer tourism
using Buriram Province as a model, and (4) to offer developmental guidelines for soccer
tourism policy in Thailand.
This study utilized mixed methods. The quantitative data were collected with
questionnaires from 400 tourists who have traveled to Buriram to spectate Thai League
soccer matches. Statistical software was employed to analyze the data using frequency,
percentage, mean, standard deviation, chi-square, and Pearson's product-moment
correlation coefficient. The qualitative data were collected using in-depth interviews
with eight informants comprising public administrators in tourism and sports and private
employees in tourism. The obtained data were analyzed using an inductive analysis.
The results revealed that (1) the sports tourism policy of Thailand lacked clarity
and a necessary integration to generate national revenues, (2) the behaviors of most
tourists who visited the matches were having 1-5 matches visited per season, traveling
with private vehicles, renting hotels, resorts, and bungalows as accommodation, and
spending at least 3,000 baht per trip, whereas the highest-rated need was satisfactory
services and quality accommodation (x
=3.61), (3) the readiness of Thailand in
accommodating soccer tourism using the Buriram model was high (x =3.10), and (4) the
developmental guidelines for soccer tourism policy in Thailand emphasized public
relations through technological innovations and digital media. | en_US |
