A STUDY OF DEMOGRAPHIC AND MARKETING FACTORS INFLUENCING THE DECISION-MAKING OF LAOTIAN MEDICAL TOURISTS IN CHOOSING UDON THANI PROVINCE AS A MEDICAL TOURISM DESTINATION: A CASE STUDY OF BANGKOK HOSPITAL UDON THANI

Jiraput  Srinuntasuwut; Thanadol  Armartpon

Jiraput Srinuntasuwut Tourism Industry and Hospitality Management, Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University, Bangkok, Thailand
Thanadol Armartpon Faculty of Tourism Industry and Hospitality Management, Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University, Bangkok, Thailand

Keywords: Demographic, Marketing factors, Decision making

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the demographic and marketing mix factors that influence the decision-making of Laotian medical tourists towards choosing Udon Thani province as their medical tourism destination and offers a case study of Bangkok Hospital Udon Thani. A sample comprising 354 respondents was collected in the study areas selected. The collected data were analyzed by ANOVA (F-Test) and multiple regression analysis. The results demonstrate that demographic factors affect Laotian medical tourists, influencing their decision-making in choosing Bangkok Hospital Udon Thani as their medical tourism destination. This study also finds that the marketing mix 7Ps factors influence the decision to choose Udon Thani province as the medical tourism destination. The most significant marketing mix factors are People factors while the less influential factors are Promotion and Physical Evidence. In terms of improvement in service marketing of Bangkok Hospital Udon Thani, consideration should be made with regard to the marketing mix 7Ps leveraging both the most influential and least influential factors to develop a medical tourism destination for the Greater Mekong Sub-region, creating a new segment of tourism for Udon Thani province.