Building Tourist Confidence and Perceived Value through Social Development and Local Engagement in Thai Tourism

Abstract

This study examines tourist confidence and perceived value in Thai tourism through participation in social development activities and engagement with local personnel and administrative organizations in Thailand’s lower central region. The research focuses on Chinese, Indian, and Malaysian tourists and aims to ( 1) assess their level of trust in the destination, (2) evaluate the perceived value derived from social development and community engagement activities, and ( 3) examine differences in satisfaction based on selected demographic factors. A quantitative approach was employed using a structured questionnaire administered to 1,200 tourists (400 from each nationality) who had prior experience with social development activities or interactions with local stakeholders. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, and one-way ANOVA. The findings indicate that tourists reported high levels of confidence in destination health and safety management and perceived substantial value from participation in community-based and social development activities. Income was found to significantly influence perceived value and revisit intention, while gender and age showed no significant differences. Overall, tourist confidence and perceived value were positively associated with intentions to revisit the destination. The study contributes to the literature on community- based tourism and destination trust by providing empirical evidence from an emerging tourism context. Practically, the findings suggest that local authorities and tourism operators should prioritize social development initiatives and strengthen collaboration with local communities to enhance tourist confidence, perceived value, and long-term destination sustainability.