Perception and Expectation of Visitors towards Ban Khao Kob Integrated Agricultural Learning Center, Huai Yod District, Trang Province

Abstract

The objectives of this research was to survey the perception and expectation of tourists towards the Ban Khao Kob Integrated Agricultural Learning Center. The sample was taken from 54 visitors interested in the integrated agriculture system from 10 districts in Trang province by snowball sampling. The questionnaires were used to collect data. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, percentage, minimum, maximum, mean, and standard deviation. According to the findings, the majority of tourists (70.37%) were female with the average age of 33 year old and the majority of them (62.97%) undergraduate education. They had an average monthly income of 12,500 baht and the majority were farmers (75.93%) with married status (75.93%). Most of tourists (81.49%) preferred to travel in small groups/with family (2-5 people). The Integrated Agricultural Learning Center was perceived positively by 74.07% of tourists who visited it. Facebook (66.67%) was the method chosen by tourists to raise awareness. The outstanding learning resources that attracted tourists to visit were learning bases and knowledge (59.26%). The learning station that tourists (33.33%) were most impressed was the fish farming in the grooves of rubber plantation.  Overall tourists perception was at a high level ( 3.67). The tourist attraction image was perceived at a high level ( 3.80). Overall, the expectation was at a high level (  3.56), especially, the tourist attraction image aspect was at a high level (  3.77)