Water tourism demand in the Mekong River basin

Abstract

This research aimed to explore the influences of water tourism demand on tourists' revisit intention. The data were collected by a questionnaire from a sample group of Thai and foreign tourists who used a water transportation service on the Mekong River in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR. The random sampling method was used as a convenience sampling technique by quota sampling and classified by ports that served tourists in the Luang Prabang area. Then, the data were analyzed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using the ADANCO software program to verify the structural validity of the latent variables and analyze the model’s consistency. The study found that factors affecting the demand for water tourism consisted of two components: (1) Tourism factors and (2) water transportation factors on the Mekong River. Considering the factors that affected the demand for water tourism, it was found that the most influential factor was the water transportation of the Mekong River, especially the creation of a service product for tourists with the purpose of leisure and the type of water transportation service. Simultaneously, demand for water tourism was found to be one of the main factors reflecting the influence of tourists' revisit intention, especially water tourism on the Mekong River. According to the study, factors affecting the demand for water tourism in the Luang Prabang area greatly affected the demand for water tourism; in addition, the demand for water tourism affected the tourists' revisit intention as well. Therefore, entrepreneurs in water tourism should pay attention to water transportation, and whether it would be the type or design of the water transportation, standards of the water transportation, security measures, and setting a clear service schedule. etc., so that tourists could make their own travel plans to be more appropriate. Furthermore, the Lao government and the private sector should adopt common and unified policies for developing water tourism and promoting publicity and tourism marketing for the effectiveness of Luang Prabang’s water tourism activities.