THE EFFECTS OF DESTINATION AWARENESS, PERCEPTION OF DESTINATION, AND DESTINATION IMAGE ON TOURISTS’ INTENTION TO TRAVEL TOWARD ASEAN COUNTRIES

Purpose – The purposes of this research were to study the effects of destination awareness, perception of destination, and destination image on tourists’ intention to travel toward ASEAN countries.Methodology – The research methodology was quantitative research with survey method by using questionnaires for data collection. The respondents were 400 participants, who had experience of traveling to a foreign country, in Bangkok, Pathum Thani, and Nonthaburi Provinces of Thailand. Descriptive statistics used for data analysis included frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. Due to hypothesis testing, inferential statistics used were Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Coefficient and Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM).Results – The results of hypothesis testing revealed that tourists’ destination awareness had positive effects on perception of destination and destination image while perception of destination had positive effects on destination image, and destination image had positive effects on tourists’ intention to travel toward ASEAN countries at a significance level of 0.001. In addition, perception of destination had a partial mediating effect on the relationship between destination awareness and destination image whereas destination image had a full mediating effect on the relationship between destination awareness and tourists’ intention, the relationship between perception and tourists’ intention, and the relationship between destination awareness and perception on tourists’ intention at a significance level of 0.001.Implications – The findings present several implications for both academia and destination marketing practitioners, providing insights into crafting effective strategies to attract tourists to these destinations.Originality/Value – This research sought to enhance comprehensive comprehension of the intricate interplay among destination awareness, destination perception, destination image, and intention to travel, elucidating their collective influence on tourism decisions. Also, the research can fill existing gaps in the literature and provide valuable insights for refining destination marketing strategies, particularly focusing on ASEAN countries.