Effects of Tourists' Trust on Behaviour Intention in the Thai Tourism Market: Mediating Effects of Perceived Authenticity

Objective - The increasing growth of the Thai tourism market has resulted in international tourists flooding into Thailand and providing significant economic benefits for the country's tourism development. The purpose of this research is to examine a comprehensive model for Thai tourism. This study aims to investigate how tourists' trust can enhance their behaviour intentions in travelling to Thailand through perceived authenticity. Methodology/Technique - The research tests a model linking trust to authenticity, and behaviour intention to current Thai tourism. Using a convenience sampling method, a sample of 453 international Asian tourists who travelled to Thailand were surveyed. Finding - The findings show that different levels of trust directly influence tourists' behavioural intentions, trust influences perceived authenticity, perceived authenticity further affects behaviour intention, and perceived authenticity mediates the relationship between tourists' trust and their behavioural intention. Moreover, demographic factors moderate the effects of trust on tourists' perceived authenticity. Novelty – The present research is expected to clarify the potential research topics in the field of Thai tourism development. Type of Paper - Empirical.