Volume 11, Issue 4 (April 2024), Pages: 182-193
----------------------------------------------
Original Research Paper
Exploring digital-free tourism: Insights from Chinese tourists in Bang Krachao, Thailand
Author(s):
Mingjing Qu *
Affiliation(s):
Department of Business Administration, International College, Krirk University, Bangkok, Thailand
Full text
Full Text - PDF
* Corresponding Author.
Corresponding author's ORCID profile: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0905-8212
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2024.04.020
Abstract
This research examines how Chinese tourists understand and experience 'Digital-Free' tourism in Bang Krachao, Thailand. It uses a detailed approach to gather and analyze opinions, experiences, and thoughts on taking a break from digital devices during their trips. The study methodically collected detailed responses from interviews with 22 Chinese tourists who visited Bang Krachao several times in recent years. The results show that Chinese tourists have a complex view of what it means to travel without using digital technology. Their experiences and thoughts on 'Digital-Free' tourism offer important insights for developing marketing strategies in tourism. This research adds to our knowledge about the role of digital technology in tourism, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, as travel preferences shift towards more significant and health-focused vacations.
© 2024 The Authors. Published by IASE.
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Keywords
Digital-free tourism, Chinese tourists, Bang Krachao, Qualitative research, Tourism marketing strategies
Article history
Received 3 January 2024, Received in revised form 17 April 2024, Accepted 18 April 2024
Acknowledgment
No Acknowledgment.
Compliance with ethical standards
Conflict of interest: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Citation:
Qu M (2024). Exploring digital-free tourism: Insights from Chinese tourists in Bang Krachao, Thailand. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 11(4): 182-193
Permanent Link to this page
Figures
Fig. 1
Tables
Table 1
----------------------------------------------
References (49)
- Adams WC (2015). Conducting semi‐structured interviews. In: Newcomer KE, Hatry HP, and Wholey JS (Eds.), Handbook of practical program evaluation: 492-505. Jossey-Bass and Pfeiffer Imprints, Wiley, San Francisco, USA. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119171386.ch19 [Google Scholar]
- Adinugraha HH (2022). Digital marketing in tourism destinations. Jurnal Ekonomi dan Bisnis Airlangga, 32(2): 130-137. https://doi.org/10.20473/jeba.V32I22022.130-137 [Google Scholar]
- Adveni LV and Razali G (2022). Hypercapitalism and product commodification through digital-based marketing communications in Komodo National Park. International Journal of Travel, Hospitality and Events, 1(2): 140-149. https://doi.org/10.56743/ijothe.v1i2.14 [Google Scholar]
- Arenas Escaso JF, Folgado Fernández JA, and Palos Sánchez PR (2022). Digital disconnection as an opportunity for the tourism business: A bibliometric analysis. Emerging Science Journal, 6(5): 1100-1113. https://doi.org/10.28991/ESJ-2022-06-05-013 [Google Scholar]
- Borysova O, Gryniuk O, Mykhailenko T, Shparaha T, and Hryniuk T (2022). Global trends in tourism and imperatives of the circular economy in the context of sustainable environmental development of states. Review of Economics and Finance, 20(1): 196-202. https://doi.org/10.55365/1923.x2022.20.23 [Google Scholar]
- Buhalis D (2022). Encyclopedia of tourism management and marketing. Edward Elgar Publishing Northampton, USA. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781800377486 [Google Scholar]
- Cai W and McKenna B (2023). Power and resistance: Digital-free tourism in a connected world. Journal of Travel Research, 62(2): 290-304. https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875211061208 [Google Scholar]
- Cao Z, Xu H, and Xian BTS (2022). Chinese tourists in Malaysia: An analysis of spatio–temporal behavior based on tourism digital footprints. IEEE Access, 10: 122047-122060. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2022.3217916 [Google Scholar]
- Dickinson JE, Hibbert JF, and Filimonau V (2016). Mobile technology and the tourist experience: (Dis)connection at the campsite. Tourism Management, 57: 193-201. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2016.06.005 [Google Scholar]
- Egger I, Lei SI, and Wassler P (2020). Digital free tourism–An exploratory study of tourist motivations. Tourism Management, 79: 104098. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2020.104098 [Google Scholar]
- Enosawa Y (2022). Psychological mechanism underlying the manners of Chinese tourists at entertainment events. Proceedings of the International Conference on Hospitality and Tourism Management, TIIKM, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 7(1): 19-29. https://doi.org/10.17501/23572612.2022.7103 [Google Scholar]
- Folgieri R, Gričar S, and Baldigara T (2022). NFTS: What opportunities and challenges in tourism? In the 26th Biennial International Congress, Tourism and Hospitality Industry 2022: Trends and Challenges, Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Opatija, Croatia: 83-96. https://doi.org/10.20867/thi.26.3 [Google Scholar]
- Garanti Z, Zvaigzne A, and Berjozkina G (2023). Introduction: Smart tourism: What developments and issues are important to the Baltic States? Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, 15(5): 463-467. https://doi.org/10.1108/WHATT-06-2023-0071 [Google Scholar]
- Han JH, Lee MJ, and Hwang YS (2016). Tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior in response to climate change and tourist experiences in nature-based tourism. Sustainability, 8(7): 644. https://doi.org/10.3390/su8070644 [Google Scholar]
- Hassan TH, Salem AE, and Saleh MI (2022). Digital-free tourism holiday as a new approach for tourism well-being: Tourists’ attributional approach. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(10): 5974. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19105974 [Google Scholar] PMid:35627511 PMCid:PMC9141969
- Huang SS, Shao Y, Zeng Y, Liu X, and Li Z (2021). Impacts of COVID-19 on Chinese nationals' tourism preferences. Tourism Management Perspectives, 40: 100895. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2021.100895 [Google Scholar] PMid:34642624 PMCid:PMC8498700
- Kapiki ST, Fu J, and Mou L (2015). Strategic framework showcasing Greece in the Chinese tourism market. EuroMed Journal of Business, 10(3): 311-326. https://doi.org/10.1108/EMJB-09-2014-0031 [Google Scholar]
- Kaur G (2017). The importance of digital marketing in the tourism industry. International Journal of Research-GRANTHAALAYAH, 5(6): 72-77. https://doi.org/10.29121/granthaalayah.v5.i6.2017.1998 [Google Scholar]
- Kim HK and Lee TJ (2018). Brand equity of a tourist destination. Sustainability, 10(2): 431. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10020431 [Google Scholar]
- Li C, Wang Y, and Li H (2023). Effect of time pressure on tourism: How to make non-impulsive tourists spend more. Journal of Travel Research, 62(7): 1411-1426. https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875221138054 [Google Scholar]
- Li J and Lu Y (2016). Chinese culture in tourist research: A review and comparison of Chinese and English studies in 1993-2012. Tourism Review, 71(2): 118-134. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0279-3 [Google Scholar]
- Li J, Pearce PL, and Oktadiana H (2020). Can digital-free tourism build character strengths? Annals of Tourism Research, 85: 103037. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2020.103037 [Google Scholar] PMid:32905012 PMCid:PMC7462583
- Li R, Wang H, and Zhang H (2021). Chinese tourists’ perception of the tourism image of North Korea based on text data from tourism websites. Sustainability, 13(21): 12205. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132112205 [Google Scholar]
- Liu G, Li S, and Kong F (2022). Association between social support, smartphone usage and loneliness among the migrant elderly following children in Jinan, China: A cross-sectional study. BMJ Open, 12(5): e060510. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-060510 [Google Scholar] PMid:35613788 PMCid:PMC9174823
- Liu Y and Yi H (2022). Social networking smartphone applications and emotional health among college students: The moderating role of social support. Science Progress, 105(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/00368504221144439 [Google Scholar] PMid:36529902 PMCid:PMC10450471
- Liu Y, Shi H, Li Y, and Amin A (2021). Factors influencing Chinese residents' post-pandemic outbound travel intentions: An extended theory of planned behavior model based on the perception of COVID-19. Tourism Review, 76(4): 871-891. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-09-2020-0458 [Google Scholar]
- Lochmiller CR (2021). Conducting thematic analysis with qualitative data. The Qualitative Report, 26(6): 2029-2044. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2021.5008 [Google Scholar]
- Luo C, Jiang S, Pu R, Li L, and Yang H (2022). Knowledge map of digital tourism: A bibliometric approach using CiteSpace. Problems and Perspectives in Management, 20(4): 573-587. https://doi.org/10.21511/ppm.20(4).2022.43 [Google Scholar]
- Melović M, Baynazoğlu ME, and Šerić N (2023). Family businesses in tourism–The use of digital technologies in times of uncertainty and crisis. Journal of Family Business Management, 13(1): 185-209. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFBM-06-2022-0086 [Google Scholar]
- Qin L, Fang ES, Lai IKW, and Abbas SK (2023). Cultural distance and Chinese outbound tourism: Exploring the moderating effect of geographical distance. Sustainability, 15(2): 1689. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15021689 [Google Scholar]
- Rahim NAA, Siah YH, Tee XY, and Siah PC (2021). Smartphone addiction: Its relationships to personality traits and types of smartphone use. International Journal of Technology in Education and Science, 5(1): 128-140. https://doi.org/10.46328/ijtes.165 [Google Scholar]
- Rahmoun M and Baeshen YB (2021). Marketing tourism in the digital era and determinants of success factors influencing tourist destinations preferences. Asia-Pacific Management Accounting Journal, 16(1): 163-181. https://doi.org/10.24191/APMAJ.V16i1-07 [Google Scholar]
- Ren L (2022). Chinese tourists’ changing behavior in package tours: The suppliers’ account. Tourist Studies, 22(4): 328-347. https://doi.org/10.1177/14687976221129644 [Google Scholar]
- Russo V, Bilucaglia M, and Zito M (2022). From virtual reality to augmented reality: A neuromarketing perspective. Frontiers in Psychology, 13: 965499. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.965499 [Google Scholar] PMid:36160557 PMCid:PMC9501971
- Saura JR, Palacios-Marqués D, and Ribeiro-Soriano D (2023). Digital marketing in SMEs via data-driven strategies: Reviewing the current state of research. Journal of Small Business Management, 61(3): 1278-1313. https://doi.org/10.1080/00472778.2021.1955127 [Google Scholar]
- Strauss A and Corbin J (1998). Basics of qualitative research: Techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory. SAGE Publications, Thousand Oaks, USA. [Google Scholar]
- Tongco MD C (2007). Purposive sampling as a tool for informant selection. Ethnobotany Research and Applications, 5:147-158. https://doi.org/10.17348/era.5.0.147-158 [Google Scholar]
- Wahyuningsih W, Suparman S, Bachri S, and Muzakir M (2022). The marketing strategy for tourism industry post COVID-19 pandemic. In the Proceedings of the 2021 Tadulako’s International Conference on Social Sciences, Atlantis Press, Palu, Indonesia: 1-4. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.220707.001 [Google Scholar]
- Wen J, Kozak M, Yang S, and Liu F (2021). COVID-19: Potential effects on Chinese citizens’ lifestyle and travel. Tourism Review, 76(1): 74-87. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-03-2020-0110 [Google Scholar]
- Wu L, Liu Y, Liu K, Wang Y, and Tian Z (2023). Analysis of tourist market structure and its driving factors in small cities before and after COVID-19. ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information, 12(6): 243. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi12060243 [Google Scholar]
- Xu S and Campbell HA (2021). The Internet usage of religious organizations in Mainland China: Case analysis of the Buddhist association of China. Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies, 3(2): 339-346. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbe2.215 [Google Scholar]
- Yaqub RMS, Ali NS, Ramzan N, and Murad M (2022). Effect of social media influencers, YouTube marketing and tourism v-logging on green tourism promotion: Evidence from Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 10(4): 1301-1313. https://doi.org/10.52131/pjhss.2022.1004.0289 [Google Scholar]
- Yu LL, Asur S, and Huberman BA (2015). Trend dynamics and attention in Chinese social media. American Behavioral Scientist, 59(9): 1142-1156. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764215580619 [Google Scholar]
- Zhang H, Cho T, and Wang H (2019). The impact of a terminal high altitude area defense incident on tourism risk perception and attitude change of Chinese tourists traveling to South Korea. Sustainability, 12(1): 7. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12010007 [Google Scholar]
- Zhang Z, Wei W, Zhu T, Zhou M, and Li Y (2022). New dimension on quality of life differences among older adults: A comparative analysis of digital consumption in urban and rural areas of China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(22): 15203. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192215203 [Google Scholar] PMid:36429922 PMCid:PMC9691223
- Zhou X, Guo Y, Xie X, Liu C, and Zhang F (2022). The influence of a destination’s red cultural atmospherics on tourists’ confidence in Chinese culture. Frontiers in Psychology, 13: 992125. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.992125 [Google Scholar] PMid:36051205 PMCid:PMC9426675
- Zhu H and Deng F (2020). How to influence rural tourism intention by risk knowledge during COVID-19 containment in China: Mediating role of risk perception and attitude. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(10): 3514. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17103514 [Google Scholar] PMid:32443430 PMCid:PMC7277590
- Zhu J, Siriphon A, Airey D, and Mei-lan J (2022). Chinese tourism diplomacy: A Chinese–style modernity review. Anatolia, 33(4): 550-563. https://doi.org/10.1080/13032917.2021.1978515 [Google Scholar]
- Zvaigzne A, Mietule I, Kotane I, Sprudzane S, and Bartkute-Norkuniene V (2023). Digital innovations in tourism: The perceptions of stakeholders. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, 15(5): 528-537. https://doi.org/10.1108/WHATT-06-2023-0080 [Google Scholar]
|