The Digital Marketing Promotion Guidelines for Health Tourism in Thai Traditional Medical Hospital to High – Quality Asian and European Travelers

Abstract

This mixed- method research between qualitative and quantitative research aims to study factors affecting decision-making toward the service accessibility in Thai traditional medical hospital of high-quality Asian and European travelers and to propose digital marketing promotion guidelines for health tourism in Thai traditional medical hospital to high-quality Asian and European travelers. The questionnaires were distributed to 400 Asian and European travelers by using accidental sampling in order to gather data from 5 model hospitals; Nopparatrajathanee Hospital in Bangkok province, Chomthong Hospital in Chiang Mai province, Patong Hospital in Phuket province, Abhaibhubejhr Hospital in Prachin Buri province, and Sichiangmai Hospital in Nong Khai province. The obtained data were analyzed by means of descriptive, inferential statistics and Multiple Regression Analysis. In-depth interview was employed to 13 stakeholders in the 5 model hospitals and semi-structure interview was utilized to 23 partners of the 5 model hospitals by purposive sampling. The derived data were screened and classified by means of content analysis and then inductive description

The results showed that service quality variable  “reliable (β= .271 )”  was the most influential factor toward decision-making for the service accessibility in Thai traditional medical hospital of high-quality travelers with  Regression Coefficient of predictor variables in standard score (β= .271 ), followed by tangibility (β = .244),  and assurance (β = .219). With respect to mix marketing variables, “place (β = .443)” was the most influential factor toward decision-making of travelers together with people (β = .305), physical evidence (β = -.174), quality and product development (β = .174), and promotion (β = -.164). According to this study, the researcher has analyzed and proposed 10 guidelines for digital marketing promotion for health tourism in Thai Traditional medical hospital to high – quality Asian and European Travelers