1. Chapter 2 Tourism Consumer Behaviour

2. Learning Outcomes
This lecture deals with the factors and influences which, will influence a consumer’s demand for tourism.
By completing this chapter we will:
Have a knowledge of the factors influencing the buyer decision process in tourism;
In particular have an understanding of the theory of motivation;

3. Learning Outcomes
Have an appreciation of the way that the roles and psychographics of tourists are linked to specific forms of tourism and tourist needs;
Have a knowledge of the key models that seek to explain the decision-making process for the purchase of tourism products; and
Be able to critique models of consumer decision-making in tourism.

4. Individual Decision Making
No two individuals are alike and differences in attitudes, perceptions, images and motivation have an important influence on travel decisions. It is important to note that:
Attitudes depend on an individual’s perception of the world;
Perceptions are mental impressions of a destination or travel company;
Travel motivators explain why people want to travel and they are the inner urges that initiate travel demand; and
Images are sets of beliefs, ideas and impressions relating to products and destinations.

5. Why is it important to know tourist behaviors?
It is important for tourism managers to research and understand the way in which tourism consumers make decisions and act in relation to the consumption of tourism products. We need to study a tourist’s consumer behaviour to be aware of:
The needs, purchase motives and decision process associated with the consumption of tourism;
The impact of the different effects of various promotional tactics;

6. Why is this Important?
The possible perception of risk for tourism purchases, including the impact of terrorist incidents;
The different market segments based upon purchase behaviour, and
How managers can improve their chance of marketing success.

7. Influences of Consumer Behaviour
Figure . Consumer decision-making framework

8. Elements of Consumer Decisions
We can view the tourism consumer decision process as a system made up of four basic elements:
Energisers (stimulants) of demand - the forces of motivation that lead a tourist to decide to visit an attraction or go on a holiday.

9. Elements of Consumer Decisions
Effectors of demand - the consumer will have developed ideas of a destination, product or organisation by a process of learning, attitudes and associations from promotional messages and information.
This will affect the consumer’s image and knowledge of a tourism product thus serving to heighten or dampen (break) the various energisers that lead to consumer action.

10. Elements of Consumer Decisions
Roles and the decision-making process - here, the important role is that of the family member who is normally involved in the different stages of the purchase process and the final resolution of decisions about when, where and how the group will consume the tourism product.

11. Elements of Consumer Decisions
Determinants of demand- In addition, the consumer decision-making process for tourism is underpinned by the determinants of demand.
Even though motivation may exist, demand is filtered, constrained or chanelled due to economic, sociological or psychological factors.

12. Motivation Maslow Dann McIntosh, Goeldner and Ritchie Plog
Motivation is defined as ‘causing a person to act in a certain way’. Approaches to motivation:
Maslow
Dann
McIntosh, Goeldner and Ritchie
Plog

13. Abraham Maslow

14. Maslow’s Model
Figure 2.2 Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

15. Maslow’s Model

16. Also known as dependables
Stanley Plog’s Model
In 1974, Stanley Plog developed a theory which allowed the US population to be classified into a series of interrelated psychographic types. These types range from two extremes:
The ‘psychocentric’ type is derived from 'psyche' or 'self-centred' where an individual centres thoughts or concerns on the small problem areas of life.
Also known as dependables

17. Psychocentrics
These individuals tend to be conservative in their travel patterns, preferring ‘safe’ destinations and often taking many return trips.
For this latter reason, market research in the tour-operating sector labels this group as 'repeaters'.
They have very strong brand loyalty

18. Plog’s Model

19. Plog’s Model
The ‘allocentric’ type derives from the root ‘allo’ meaning ‘varied in form’. These individuals are adventurous and motivated to travel/discover new destinations.
Also known as venturers
They rarely return to the same place twice, hence their market research label 'wanderers'.

20. Motivation Summary
We can see that the dimensions of the concept of motivation in the context of travel are difficult to map. In summary they can be seen to include:
The idea that travel is initially need-related and that this manifests itself in terms of wants and the strength of motivation or ‘push’, as the energiser of action;

21. Motivation Summary
Motivation is grounded in sociological and psychological aspects of acquired norms, attitudes, culture, perceptions, etc., leading to person-specific forms of motivation; and
The image of a destination created through various communication channels will influence motivation and subsequently affect the type of travel undertaken.

22. Roles and Decision Making
Typologies can be designed to classify tourists in terms of their roles in decision making
Goffman and Cohen’s approaches are based upon motivation
Family influence is also important

23. Figure: Cohen’s Typology
Figure 2.4 Cohen’s classification of tourists
Figure: Cohen’s Typology

24. The Importance of Image
There are various kinds of definitions adopted to describe the word ‘image’ in different fields. For example, the WTO defines image as follows:
The artificial imitation of the apparent(clear) form of an object;
Form resemblance(similarity), identity (e.g.art and design); and
Ideas, conceptions held individually or collectively of the destination.

25. The Importance of Image
Gunn (1972) identifies two levels of image.
In terms of a country or destination, the ‘organic’(natural) image is the sum of all information that has not been deliberately directed by advertising or promotion of a country or destination,
The second level of image is the ‘induced’(artifical) image.
This is formed by deliberate definition and promotion by various organisations involved with tourism.

26. The Importance of Image
We can identify four stages in the development and establishment of a holiday image:
1. A vague(unclear), fantasy type of image is created from advertising, education and word of mouth and is formed before the subject has thought seriously about taking a holiday.
2. A decision is made to take a holiday and then choices must be made regarding time, destination and type of holiday. This is when the holiday image is modified, clarified and extended.

27. The Importance of Image
3. The holiday experience itself, which modifies, corrects or removes elements of the image that prove to be invalid and reinforces those that are found to be correct.
4. The after-image, the recollection of the holiday which may induce feelings of nostalgia, regret or fantasy. This is the stage that will mould(shape) an individual’s holiday concepts and attitudes and will promote a new sequence of holiday images influencing future holiday decisions.

28. The Buying Decision Process in Tourism
The stages of the decision:
need arousal (be induced)
recognition of the need
level of involvement
identification of alternatives
evaluation of alternatives
decision choice
purchase action
post-purchase behaviour

29. The Buying Decision Process in Tourism

30. The Models
Figure 2.7 The Schmoll model

31. The Models
Figure 2.8 Travel-buying behaviour

32. The Models
Figure 2.9 The Mathieson and Wall model

33. The Models
Figure An activities-based model of destination choice

34. End of Chapter Slides