Causal Relationships Among Perceived Value, Satisfaction, and Sustainable Tourism Intention of Thai Tourists: A Case Study of Koh Tao, Surat Thani Province
Keywords:
Perceived Value, Tourist Satisfaction, Sustainable Tourism Intention, Marine Ecotourism, PLS-SEMAbstract
This research examines the causal relationships among perceived tourism value, tourist satisfaction, and sustainable tourism intention of Thai tourists visiting Koh Tao, Surat Thani Province. Employing a quantitative research methodology, data were collected from 316 Thai tourists through purposive sampling and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Perceived value was conceptualized as a second-order latent variable comprising emotional and functional value, social value, and economic value. The findings revealed statistically significant positive relationships. Perceived tourism value demonstrated a strong positive influence on tourist satisfaction (β = 0.710, p < 0.001), explaining 50.4% of the variance. Tourist satisfaction positively influenced sustainable tourism intention (β = 0.406, p < 0.001), while perceived value exhibited direct influence (β = 0.360, p < 0.001). The model explained 50.2% of the variance in sustainable tourism intention. Tourist satisfaction functioned as a partial mediator with an indirect effect of 0.289 and a Variance Accounted For (VAF) of 44.6%. Importance-Performance Map Analysis (IPMA) revealed that affordable pricing and value for money required urgent improvement, while service quality represented competitive strengths to be maintained. The findings contribute both theoretically and practically to sustainable ecotourism management.
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