Heritage sites as tourist attractions : a case sudy of Luang Prabang, Lao People's Democratic Republic

The purpose of this thesis is to explore the significant factors on international tourists' decision-making to visit Town of Luang Prabang and to identify the role of World Heritage status on international tourists' decision to visit the Town of Luang Prabang in Lao PDR. The study was conducted in the Town of Luang Prabang over the months of April and May 2009. It employed the use of a quantitative research methodology with a self-administered questionnaire survey with international tourists who were eighteen years and over. The survey was conducted at Luang Prabang International Airport, Mount Phousy, Xieng Thong Temple, open-air night market, Internet shops and restaurants along the Mekong and Namkhan rivers. The results of the research indicated that the World Heritage status of Luang Prabang plays a crucial role in attracting tourists to visit the town. However, while most of the participants stated that they travelled to the town of Luang Prabang because it is on World Heritage list, only one in three of the participants perceived themselves as 'heritage tourists'. The findings showed that this contradiction was associated with tourists' age and length of stay. Tourists who labelled themselves as 'heritage tourists' tended to be older and had a shorter length of stay in Lao PDR as well as on their total trip compared to tourists who did not call themselves heritage tourists. The study also found that older tourists were more knowledgeable about the World Heritage status of Luang Prabang before they started their trip and indicating that older tourists used more generating markers than younger tourists. The study contended that younger people often travel to heritage sites but they do not label themselves 'heritage tourists'. It is suggested that younger tourists feel uncomfortable with name heritage tourists because they might think 'heritage' is related to some thing 'old'. This study may help marketers to identify their markets and have more understanding that not all tourists to heritage sites have the same level of motivation for cultural heritage experiences and perceive themselves as heritage tourists