TOURISM TRAVELERS / GUESTS

A. GENERAL CLASSIFICATIONS

Business Traveler/Guest

1.  Frequent Business traveler

2.  Luxury business traveler

3.  Female business traveler

4.  International business traveler

5.  Occupational destination traveler

·  average business traveler/guest demographics

Pleasure Traveler/Guest

1.  Discretionary travel (income and time)

2.  Pleasure seekers

3.  Purchasing travel products and services

4.  Family stages

Visiting Friends and Relatives

1.  Emergency visits (more like business traveler in concept)

2.  Pleasure visits is more discretionary in nature.

3.  Life stage patterns

B. DEMOGRAPHICS

Can we classify travelers by age, sex, education level, white or blue collar worker, marital status, place of residence, and/or income? If yes, how can tourism operators use this information to help the traveler and themselves?

C. PSYCHOGRAPHICS

1.  Stanley Plog’s Continuum

-  allocentric (risk-takers)

-  psychocentric (“armchair” travelers)

-  midcentrics (break in their routine)

2. Maslow’s Hierachy of Needs

Self

Actualization

Ego

(self-esteem, self-respect)

Social

(love, affection, belonging)

Safety (home, job)

Physiological (needs – food, water, etc.)

2.  McIntosh and Goeldner Motivators

-  physical motivators

-  cultural motivators

-  interpersonal motivators

-  status and prestige motivators

3.  Epperson’s Surface Factors

-  Pull factors (friends, relatives, celebrities, public figures, scenic areas, historic areas, cultural events, sports events, educational events, recreational events)

-  Push factors from within our inner self (adventure, challenge, escape, kinship, novelty, prestige, rest/relaxation, self-discovery)

MOTIVATIONS, NEEDS, and EXPECTATIONS (MNEs)

This refers to a traveler’s specific purpose for a trip, specials needs to be filled, and their expectations. They will return to that area (hotel, etc.) if those motivations, needs, and expectations are met.

THE BARRIERS TO TRAVEL

1.  Cost

2.  Lack of time

3.  Accessibility or distance

4.  Travel tastes and experience

5.  Age

6.  Health

7.  Fear

THE SIX TRAVEL EXPERIENCE PHASES

Phase 1

Anticipation

Phase 6 Phase 2

Recollection Planning

Phase 5 Phase 3

Travel Home Travel to Site

Phase 4

Participation