Effect of Knowledge Sharing and Digital Management to Performance on Ecotourism in Ranong Province, Thailand

Abstract

Ecotourism is the combination of ecosystem and tourism. Ecosystem tourism includes travel to destinations where flora, fauna, and cultural heritage are the primary attractions. Present study wants to establish the link between knowledge sharing, information and communication technology (ICT) and ecotourism performance with mediation of tourist attraction and digital management system among employees of ecotourism provider companies in Ranong province of Thailand. Data is collected through questionnaire survey method and via dropdown technique. Partial Least Square (PLS) is used in this study for data analysis. Results indicate that knowledge sharing related to ecotourism and ICT has positive significant impact on ecotourism performance and on tourist attraction and digital management system respectively. Tourist attraction has positive significant impact on ecotourism performance but not mediate the relation. Digital management system mediates the relation and also has the positive significant impact on ecotourism performance. Practitioners should focus on knowledge sharing variable, ICT and digital management system for increasing the ecotourism performance among ecotourism provider companies in Ranong province of Thailand.