COMPARATIVE STUDY ON DIFFERENT PERCEPTION IN TOURISM INFORMATION BETWEEN ONLINE AND OFFLINE MARKETING COMMUNICATION IN MAE SOT DISTRICT, TAK PROVINCE

Abstract

This research employed a quantitative research method. The purpose of this research was to study the behavior of tourists, the level of perception of tourism information, and the comparison of different information perceptions between online and offline marketing communications. Tourists were classified by their travel experiences in Mae Sot District, Tak Province. Questionnaires were used as a research tool. The study's sample consisted of Thai tourists visiting Mae Sot. The sample consisted of 395 tourists, which were selected by purposive sampling. The statistics used included frequency distribution, percentage, arithmetic mean, standard deviation, and an independent sample t-test. The results indicated that most tourists frequently traveled on weekends for relaxation and shopping with friends and family in private cars. The expense for each person was approximately 3,000 baht. While the information perception of tourists, which includes online marketing communication formats (live, photo, VDO, and content of tourist attractions), and offline marketing communication formats (billboard, brochure, and radio media), was at a high level, And in addition, the differences in tourists’ travel experiences affected the level of perception of tourism information via photos, content, billboards, and brochures at the statistical significance level of .05 and .01. Additionally, the average value showed that tourists who regularly traveled have more awareness of information perception than tourists who rarely traveled. On the other hand, there were no differences in perception via live, VDO, or radio.