SHORT VIDEOS AND ONLINE POSTS SHAPE TOURISM IN THAILAND’S SECONDARY CITIES

Abstract

This research aims to explore the influence of short videos and online posts on the travel behavior towards secondary cities in Thailand. It focuses on analyzing demographic factors in conjunction with behavioral factors and the quality of digital content, which play a significant role in the era where social media has become the primary channel for tourists to search and decide on their travel destinations. The study emphasizes the relationship between demographic characteristics such as gender, age, education level, occupation, and average monthly income, and the tendency to travel to secondary cities after viewing short videos and online posts from reviewers or content creators. Simultaneously, the study examines the behavioral patterns of tourists, such as travel motivation, frequency of online media usage, and response patterns to social media content, to determine their influence on the decision to travel to secondary cities. Additionally, it evaluates the quality of content in short videos and online posts in terms of credibility, creativity, clarity of presentation, and emotional stimulation, to understand their impact on consumers' intention to choose secondary cities as travel destinations. The findings reveal that the quality of content in short videos and online posts significantly influences the intention to travel to secondary cities, particularly in terms of credibility and clarity of presentation. Furthermore, demographic factors such as age and education level also affect the response to digital media content and travel decisions. This study is expected to benefit tourism operators, national and local tourism promotion agencies, as well as digital content creators and online marketers. The insights can be applied to design effective communication strategies, marketing campaigns, and select appropriate platforms to promote secondary city tourism efficiently and sustainably, aligning with local economic development and equitable distribution of tourism revenue.