DESTINATION ARRANGEMENT FOR AN EMERGING TOURIST MARKET: AN APPLICATION OF AN ACCULTURATION MODEL

This research applies the concept of bidimensional acculturation to the Indian tourist market in order to seek a greater understanding of how short-time travelers adapt to host cultures. A qualitative research design using the snowball sampling technique was applied. In-depth interviews with 12tourism stakeholders in Phuket were conducted. The applicability of the acculturation model became evident as the Indian tourists were more likely to apply the separation strategy of cultural adaptation. All the informants completely agreed that Phuket has great potential to host tourists, including the Indian tourist market, because of being a world-renowned tourist destination. Nevertheless, it was evident that key informant implied Indian tourists were likely to adopt the separation strategy of the acculturation model. The interview analysis suggests the evidence of three key themes underlying the adopted strategy, namely, seeking home comfort and suitable food and activities, maintaining their unique characteristics, and spending time with a big group of family. The research findings benefit both private and public tourism organizations. Unique challenges and destination arrangement for a destination in order to host an Indian tourist market are suggested.