Geojournal of Tourism and Geosites | 2026
Authors: Kongpim T.; Thaveeseng H.; Visuthismajarn P.
DOI: 10.30892/gtg.65242-1747
Journal: Geojournal of Tourism and Geosites
Year: 2026
Publisher: Editura Universitatii din Oradea
Document Type: Article
Open Access: All Open Access; Gold Open Access
Cited by: 0
Community-based health tourism has emerged as a significant segment within the global wellness tourism industry, yet the economic valuation of such experiences remains insufficiently understood. This investigation seeks to explore push-pull factors impacting tourists' willingness to pay (WTP) for community-based health tourism in the Mae Tom Subdistrict of Songkhla Province in Thailand. The study addresses critical gaps including the limited application of push-pull theory in community-based health tourism contexts, the underrepresentation of community-based approaches in health tourism research, and the absence of integrated structural equation models examining hierarchical push-pull relationships with WTP. The data from 413 tourists were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) with a hierarchical factor structure, incorporating push-pull theory with an understanding of WTP using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural modeling. Push factors were operationalized as a second-order construct encompassing internal needs, attitude toward health tourism, information perception, health tourism values, and tourism experience, while pull factors comprised destination image, value for money, health activities, and tourism information. The analysis revealed that both push factors (β = 0.21, p < 0.01) and pull factors (β = 0.23, p < 0.01) had a significant impact on WTP, with pull factors exerting a more substantial influence. The internal needs had the highest loading (λ = 0.83) among push factors, while destination image had the highest loading (λ = 0.80) among pull factors. The model demonstrated an acceptable fit and consequently explained 42% of the variance in WTP. Conclusions suggest that pull factors supersede the normative view of push factors having greater dominance in the context of community-based health tourism. The findings advance theoretical knowledge and provide evidence-based guidance for sustainable tourism development strategies that emphasize destination credibility, authentic community participation, and the preservation of local health wisdom in southern Thailand. © 2026 by the authors.
community-based health tourism; push-pull theory; structural equation modeling; Thailand; willingness to pay