FACTORS INFLUENCING DECISION-MAKING FOR WELLNESS TOURISM AMONG ELDERLY TOURISTS’

Abstract

This research aimed to: 1) examine the factors associated with elderly tourists’ decision-making for wellness tourism, and 2) investigate the factors influencing elderly tourists’ decision-making for wellness tourism. The study employed a survey research design. The sample consisted of 400 individuals aged 60 years and above who had experience in wellness tourism, selected through convenience sampling. The research instrument was a questionnaire, validated for content (content validity) and reliability. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and stepwise multiple regression analysis.

The findings revealed that:

1. Safety, community participation, facilities, infrastructure, and service quality were

significantly correlated with elderly tourists’ decision-making for wellness tourism, with facilities showing the strongest correlation and safety the weakest.

1. Factors influencing decision-making included facilities (B = 0.312), followed by

infrastructure (B = 0.226), community participation (B = 0.195), and service quality (B = 0.144). Together, these factors accounted for 47.30% of the variance in elderly tourists’ decision-making.

The findings suggest that wellness tourism businesses targeting the elderly should focus on managing facilities, developing appropriate infrastructure, encouraging community participation, and improving service quality in a balanced manner to enhance sustainable success and long-term competitiveness