Travel and Tourism Field : Bangkok Field Trip Essay Example

socio-cultural environment was particularly notable for causing culture shock, especially in terms of how the public reacted to a young boy with both arms amputated begging for money under the scorching sun, and the locals' ability to eat in highly unhygienic conditions. Through observation and experimental tests, it was proven that the locals' attitude towards tourists could easily be influenced through tipping and monetary incentives.

The streets of Phetchaburi were filled with many tourists of the same nationality. It was disappointing to witness these tourists behaving unethically while indulging in tourism. Examples of this behavior included wasting food due to its low cost or a desire to try Thai cuisine, as well as engaging in absurd bargaining at shopping malls. To understand the motivation behind this type of travel, we reviewed literature and research from other sources. Our findings suggest that personality and motivation are closely linked, with individuals falling into either psychocentric or allocentric groups based on their level of adventurousness (Plog, 1974).

According to Dann (1977) and Crompton (1979), the importance of tourist motivations is emphasized, specifically the "Push" and "Pull" factors. In addition, Iso-Ahola (1982) suggests that tourism motivation consists of both extrinsic and intrinsic components. The extrinsic component pertains to the desire to escape the everyday environment, while the intrinsic component is focused on acquiring psychological rewards through travel in a different environment. Kozak's (2002) study explores differences in tourist motivation between nationalities and destinations. This study identifies four dimensions of travel motivations, including cultural, pleasure or fantasy based, relaxation based, and physical motives. Further, Ambro (2005) proposes that prolonged interaction with a destination can lead to a sense of place dependency, which

may become part of the tourist's identity and increase their willingness to revisit the place. Additionally, Ritter (1987) suggests that different nationalities exhibit different tourist behaviors. However, Dann (1993) criticizes using nationality as the sole discriminating variable to explain dissimilarities in tourist behavior.

According to Cristina et al (2008), age and gender have an influence on individuals' motives and behaviors. Older tourists typically travel for relaxation and cultural exploration, while younger tourists prefer engaging in physical activities and sports. However, Andreu et al (2005) found that age does not significantly affect travel motivations.

Andreu et al (2005) discovered that women prioritize escape and relaxation motives, while men prefer recreation and activity when it comes to travel. The subsequent reviews will concentrate on the perception of tourism by locals. Mass tourism often brings about substantial changes to a destination's environment and culture, impacting the traditional way of life and values of the local community. Consequently, locals are forced to actively participate in their destination's tourism industry (Getz 1994).

According to Ap et al (1998), a strong relationship between locals and tourists is necessary for a tourist destination to achieve long-term development. However, the attitudes of the locals towards the growth of the destination vary greatly (Relph, 1976). Milman et al (1988) found that there are positive attitudes towards tourists due to employment opportunities, tax income, and improved quality of life. Mansfeld (1992) focused on local perceptions and explored the negative impacts of tourism. He found that locals with higher incomes from tourism tend to have more positive attitudes towards tourism. Duvall (2002) highlighted the negative impacts of tourism, such as high taxes and prices in the destination, locals not

being able to take vacations, and long working hours to earn money. In addition, Jafari (2001) identified six platforms of tourism, including "Advocacy" and "Cautionary" platforms that emphasized the positive and negative impacts of tourism, which aligns with previous studies.

Liu et al (1987) found that locals' perception of the negative effects of tourism is influenced by the tourists-to-locals ratio. The higher this ratio, the more critical they are towards tourism and the stronger their opposition to its development. However, Angel et al (2007) argue against this perspective, stating that a higher density of tourism in a destination leads to a more positive view of tourism development and less concern about its negative impact.

In our study, we conducted three interviews with tourists on the streets of Phetchaburi. Most of them were from Singapore and Australia and aged between 21 and 33. Nevertheless, due to limitations and time constraints, our results and analysis may be incomplete.

The survey asked participants about the reasons they chose their destination. Responses varied by nationality, with interviews of Singaporeans including a couple aged 24 and 25, as well as a group of three young individuals aged 22 to 25. The results indicated that main motivations for travel included escaping daily routines, seeking relaxation, and engaging in shopping activities. Specifically, the couple expressed their love for Bangkok and mentioned it was their fourth visit. According to Plog's (1974) classification, these individuals were considered psychocentric and motivated by "push" factors identified by Dann (1977) and Crompton (1979).

Motivated by the extrinsic component (Iso-Ahola, 1982), individuals seek to escape from everyday life and choose to travel to Bangkok as an option. The first interview candidates' responses

aligned with Ambro's (2005) study, as they considered Bangkok their "second home." In contrast, the Australian couple, aged 31 and 33, had a different perspective. Carrying bulky haversacks, their goal was to explore Bangkok's Grand Palace and Temples. Phetchaburi served as a pit-stop for them, and they had no interest in shopping. Their desire was to immerse themselves in different countries' cultures and histories, gaining new knowledge.

According to Plog (1974), this Australian couple can be classified as allocentrics in terms of motivation. They were motivated by "Pull" factors, as indicated by studies conducted by Dann (1977) and Crompton (1979). In contrast to the first and second candidates, their motivation stemmed from the intrinsic component, as discussed by Iso-Ahola (1982). They sought new knowledge and experiences through travel, which they were unable to find in their own country. Interviews with other tourists from different nationalities, specifically Singaporean and Australian, supported the findings of Kozak (2002) and Ritter (1987) that different nationalities have different motives and behaviors in tourism. However, due to the small sample size in this study case, it was not possible to fully confirm the argument presented by Cristina et al (2008) and Andreu et al (2005). Nonetheless, observations during the trip partially aligned with Dann's (1993) assertion that age and gender also play a role in shaping motives and behaviors alongside nationality. One such observation was made at Platinum Mall, where young female tourists were seen bargaining for items at shop vendors. Based on interviews conducted with locals, six expressed positive views while two explained negative impacts of tourism on the community.

Based on (Relph, 1976), the findings show that not all residents in

Bangkok have the same perception and attitude towards tourism. When asked questions like "What do you think tourism is Bangkok, Why," the responses varied. The results were as follows: six locals expressed a positive view of tourism, stating that it provided them with a livelihood and improved their quality of life (Jafari, 2001; Milman et al, 1988). Among these six individuals, one was the owner of a traditional Thai massage center, who pointed out that locals with higher incomes from tourism tend to have more positive attitudes towards it (Mansfeld, 1992). On the other hand, two locals, specifically a therapist and a shop vendor, expressed negative views. The therapist mentioned the low pay, long working hours during peak seasons, fatigue, and limited job options as reasons for her negative perception. She also noted that most job opportunities in the destination cater to the tourist industry (Duvall, 2002).

The shop vendor mentioned that tourists bargaining for goods and items had a negative impact on businesses in the shopping mall. She preferred locals as customers because they do not bargain as much (Jafari, 2001). The interview with the restaurant waiter yielded similar findings to Angel et al (2007), who explained that it is normal to see tourists waste their food and they do not mind it. In contrast, the interviews with the shop vendor, manicure practitioner, and "Tuk Tuk" rider produced interesting results that showed inconsistency in locals' perception of tourism (Relph, 1976). Both the manicure practitioner and "Tuk Tuk" rider preferred tourist customers because they could earn more from them. However, the shop vendor preferred local customers. Liu et al did not find any corresponding findings.

The study

conducted in 1987 analyzed the locals' perception of the negative impacts of tourism, which was found to be influenced by the ratio of tourists to locals. The study examined the interactions between tourists and locals, as well as observations made during the trip. It revealed that the nationality of tourists significantly affected their behavior while traveling. Local perceptions of tourism varied depending on the tourist's behavior, resulting in both "nationality stereotyping" and acceptance of their conduct. One reason for this acceptance was attributed to the amount of money spent by tourists. This acceptance subsequently led to higher levels of satisfaction among tourists and an increase in their expenditure. Consequently, some locals capitalized on this situation by increasing prices under the assumption that most tourists would not be concerned with costs.

Frustration occurred for every unsuccessful attempt, these instances can be seen from the Shop Vendor and the Taxi Driver. The likelihood of these failures can be traced back to the tourist's nationality. This connection not only relates to the interactions between tourists and locals but also evolves through the acknowledgement of tourist behaviors and the extent of the local's desire to make money from tourism. Model 1 provides an overview of the relationship between tourists and locals, as discussed earlier. Model 2 establishes the interrelation between acceptance and service level, tied to the expectation of earning from tourists. Model 1 summarizes the overall relationships between tourists and locals identified in this case study, as mentioned before.

Model 2 presents a simplified graph that shows a higher level of acceptance and service level leading to increased expectancy and intention to generate tourism revenue. The theoretical concepts derived

from literature reviews provide valuable insights into tourism motivation, behavior, and local perception. Overall, this study emphasizes the impact of nationality on tourism motivation and behavior while revealing the inconsistency in locals' perception of tourism.

The analysis of the case study shows a connection between tourists and locals, indicating that how locals perceive and accept tourists' behavior affects the quality of services provided. This ultimately impacts tourism revenue expectations. The findings highlight the inconsistency in locals' perception and interaction with tourism. However, there are still unanswered questions about how gender influences tourism motivation and behavior, as well as variations in the relationship between tourists and locals across different destinations (2213 words).

References

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