Research pick: Thai tourists’ travel thinking - "Factors affecting the attitude and intention of Thai Gen Xers to travel overseas as free independent travellers"

The factors influencing Generation X in Thailand and their intentions to travel overseas are discussed in the International Journal of Public Sector Performance Management. Generation X approximately represents those people born between 1965 and 1979, the cohort between the so-called Baby Boomers (born 1946 to 1964) and the Millennials (born roughly between 1980 and 1996).

Chalongrat Rattanakhongsuk, Natchapol Lopiroon, Nunsinee Petcharapirat, Peerapum Hemansutthikul, Suprawee Watchararungroong, Thanaphol Anangosolporn, Warumporn Terdpataweepong, Guntalee Ruenrom, and Apichart Kanarattanavong of Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand surveyed 365 Thai Gen Xers and asked them our travel motivations including escapism, excitement, relaxation, knowledge seeking, relationships, self-enhancement and self-actualisation, the influence of friends and family as well as media influencers (travel bloggers and reviewers), their economic circumstances, and foreign-language skills.

The team found that of the various factors that might influence intention to travel abroad among Thai Gen X knowledge seeking, ego-enhancement, media influencer, facilities and foreign language skills were the most significant. This was all in the context of free, independent travelling, the team emphasises. They discuss how governmental agencies and the private sector in destination countries might benefit from the clearer understanding of the motivations among Thai Gen X tourists. This is a significant demographic cohort representing 20% of the Thai population, about 16 million people, indeed it is the largest cohort by “generation” grouping at the moment. Destinations that fulfil the demand of this group of independent, and most-likely affluent, travellers, such as good facilities and an attractive tourist “offering” will reap the rewards.

Rattanakhongsuk, C., Lopiroon, N., Petcharapirat, N., Hemansutthikul, P., Watchararungroong, S., Anangosolporn, T., Terdpataweepong, W., Ruenrom, G. and Kanarattanavong, A. (2022) ‘Factors affecting the attitude and intention of Thai Gen Xers to travel overseas as free independent travellers’, Int. J. Public Sector Performance Management, Vol. 10, Nos. 2/3, pp.363–376.