Download CHAPTER 3 TOURISTS BUYING BEHAVIOUR INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 3
TOURISTS BUYING BEHAVIOUR
INTRODUCTION
Definition: It is a branch of applied psychology concerned with the behavioural
aspects of purchasing decisions
of customers/tourists.
They are attitudes that buyers exhibit in the process of interacting or consuming a
given set of products (services).
Why Do We Need To Understand Consumer Behaviour
Marketing is all about offering what the customer regards as valuable at a profit. In
this era of dynamic engagement, customers have become so complicated and
sophisticated that what one may regard as value is a reject to another.

In order to offer value to the customers, it is imperative that firms understand
what customers regard as valuable.

There are many products that are similar on the market, but what makes a
customer prefer one brand to another? It is factors such as these which
marketing firms are attempting to understand in order to design product and
services offerings which will match the requirement of consumer accurately
than those of their competitors.
It is against this background that consumer behaviour has become a topical issue in
marketing.
Consumer Decision – Making Process
(a) Need Identification – needs can be split into two;i.e, Functional needs
and psychological needs. Functional needs can be expressed as a
reaction to a situation where a positive need arises. Someone is hungry,
therefore needs some food. Thus we need food (functional), but we
may want rice and chicken (specific type) – thats psychological.
b) Information gathering

The need has now been identified but there is no pi pointed product (service)
which will satisfy that need. For instance, the need is that of entertainment –
we are feeling bored. The first step in the information gathering process
might be to check the local paper to see where night – life is and what films
are showing (which papers would you scan?)

Depending with the need identified, there may be great necessity to approach
relevant consultants to get information for travel and tourism we may need
the assistance of Travel Agencies and Tour Operators.

Tourism is a highly involving product which does not need haste decisions due
to its being very expensive yet intangible. It is different from the decision
needed to buy a pair of shoes which can be returned in case its oversize.
c) Evaluation of Alternatives
According to Behavioural scientists, evaluation is a four staged process and scholars
generally agree on the four stages as depicted in the model below;
i.
Relevant Criteria
ii.
Personal beliefs and perceptions
iii.
Personal attitudes
iv.
Behavioural intentions
We will discuss these stages in turns;
Relevant Criteria
These are the standards by which products are judged. Essentially, this is the area
that advertisers should target. They have to impress on the factors that make the
product perception great in the eyes/mind of the customer. In other words intelligent
advertisers help consumers in their judgement of the products.
Personal Beliefs and Perceptions
The customer’s own beliefs regarding the degree to which each alternative
possesses the characteristics deemed to be relevant criterion.
Personal Attitudes
These represent tendencies to respond either positively or negatively towards
characteristics believed to be present in the product. While beliefs may imply
knowledge or relative certainty, attitudes are more unsubstantiated and may even
extend to prejudices.
Behavioural Intentions
While we can say that attitudes and perceptions can both influence and lead to
certain types of behaviour, there is also a moderator here. While attitudes are not
strong, or perceptions do not bolster those attitudes, the behaviour may be
influenced most of all by the behaviour of others. Thus, following the lead of others
is known as normative compliance.
d) Selection of Best Solutions
After rationalising according to information provided, attitudes and experiences and
other people’s recommendations, the customer arrives at the 'best' solution. But is it
necessarily the best?Perhaps what is a more accurate assessment is that it is the
safest solution.
e) Post Purchase Evaluation
a) Product/service is a bundle of benefits that the customer seeks to enjoy by
purchasing it. The prime idea is need satisfaction. At the end of the day, the
customer has to evaluate whether the purchase has led to the intended
satisfaction in order to determine whether to buy again from that
organisation.

The hospitality and tourism industry thrives on repeat visits in most cases.
This therefore makes the issue of customer satisfaction of utmost importance.
This is made especially critical during off-peak periods. Post purchase
evaluations cannot be neglected if a sustainable competitive advantage is to
be gained.
Cognitive dissonance (Postulated by Leon A. Festnger)

Is an uncomfortable feeling caused by holding conflicting ideas
simultaneously? The theory of cognitive dissonance proposes that people
have a motivational drive to reduce dissonance. They do this by changing
their attitudes, beliefs, and actions. Dissonance is also reduced by justifying,
blaming, and denying. It is one of the most influential and extensively studied
theories in social psychology.

Experience can clash with expectations, as, for example, with buyer's remorse
following the purchase of an expensive item. In a state of dissonance, people
may feel surprise,[1] dread, guilt, anger, or embarrassment. People are biased
to think of their choices as correct, despite any contrary evidence. This bias
gives dissonance theory its predictive power, shedding light on otherwise
puzzling irrational and destructive behaviour.
The effect of positive cognitive dissonance is a satisfied or even delighted
buyer who is more likely to buy a product again (e.g., repeat destination visitation),
become loyal to it, spread positive word of mouth, recommend it to others, spend
more
on
it,
and cherish it in a memory for a long time. Delighted customers are likely to be the
best

advertisements
for
products/destinations.
The effect of negative cognitive dissonance is a dissatisfied buyer who may
stop
buying the product permanently or temporarily (e.g., stop traveling to the
same destination). The dissatisfied buyer may also return the product to the
seller
e.g.,
return an airline ticket), complain to friends, families, reference groups, and
associates,and discourage them from the same purchase.

In
addition,
the
unhappy
buyer
may
ask
for a refund or product exchange (e.g., change a hotel room), or decide to
sell
the
product, (e.g., sell time share), or trade it. Some unhappy customers may
give
the
product to someone else (e.g., unwanted gift), store it, or convert it into
something
else.

In case of a high level of dissatisfaction buyers may also initiate a lawsuit.
In order to avoid or decrease negative dissonance (the unfavorable gap
between
expectations and experience), buyers often take steps to reduce the
uncertainty
that
they might have about their selection by
(1)Trying
to
convince
themselves
that
their
decision was wise,
(2)Seeking
more
supports the choice,
information
that
reinforces
the
purchase
and
(3) Persuading friends to purchase the same product, or
(4) Contacting other owners to reassure themselves of their decisions.
Most tourism and hospitality organisations have an imperfect picture of theory
customer, and few monitor patterns of consumer behavioural at a level of detail
necessary to remain competitive (Hadson 2008)
Some take comfort in the assumptions that they are close enough to their customers
and there is no need to undertake a formal customers research. Others brush the
idea aside as an expensive initiative.

The majority of organisations are contend with analysing secondary data for
decision making.

In this raplex environment, secondary data can be out of date in no time
making it obsolete. Customer data collected in 2005 may not apply today's
environment.
FACTORS INFLUENCING CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
The diagram below shows the seven key factors that influence a customer's
behaviour. In most cases, motivation is seen as the main determinant, but cultural,
personal, and social influences will also have an important effect on consumer
purchases.
Motivations
Culture
Reference
groups
BUYER
Social class
Age and Gender
Life cycle
Life style
(Source : Hudson 2008)
Motivations

These are inner drives that cause people to take action to satisfy their needs.
Understanding the key drivers that lead to one purchasing a tourism product
is recognised as one of the main factors in the success of competitive
organisations. To understand human motivation, it is necessary to discover
what needs the people have and how they can be fulfilled. Maslow was the
first to attempt to do so and today his hierarchy of needs is used by many
management theorists.

According to Mills and Morrison (1985), travel is a need or wants satisfier and
this ogres well with Maslow's conceptualisation.

Dann (1977)'s tourism motivators can be linked to Maslow's list of needs. He
argues that there are two factors in a tourist's decision to travel: The push
factors and pull factors.

The push factors are those that make you want to travel while the pull factors
helps you decide where to go. In agreement to Dann's ascertain Crompton
(1979) identifies 9 motives, 7 classified as socio psychological or push factors
and two classified as cultural or pull motives.

The push factors are; escape from a perceived mundane environment;
exploration, and evaluation of self; relaxation, prestige, and regression;
enhancement of kinship relationships, and facilitation of social interaction.
The pull motives are Novelty and Education
According to Krippendorf (1987) there is something common in these theories of
tourism motivation. First, travel is motivated by “going away from” rather than
“going towards” something.
Second; travellers’ motives and behaviours self oriented e.g. escape freedom, self
realisation and broadening of mind. Motivation is also influenced by learning beliefs
and attitudes and perceptions.
According to Hudsons (2008) learning refers to how visitors receive and interpret a
variety of stimuli. People get experience from listening to others, taking holidays,
talking to friends, etc. It is from these experiences that one develops a mental
inventory that builds expectations about places.
Culture

Culture plays a crucial role in influencing consumer buying behaviour. In
Zimbabwe, and Africa at large, it was believed that only the highly placed in
society can engage in tourism. The culture was that tourism was for the elite
few and the whites and it took much time for most Africans to know that they
are also eligible to travel. Research has shown that up to now, many still
subscribe to the old philosophy.

Some cultures take travelling as a way of promoting promiscuity and
prostitution. Anyone associated with tourism is regarded as a morally loose
person and few would want to associate with him.
Age and Gender

Age has been successfully used a basic for market segmentation. Today many
tourism operators are targeting the senior market. This has been as a result
of the fact that the old aged are not tied to weekly work commitments and
are less seasonal. They are also interested in long haul travel.

The senior market is also less price sensitive, they are much more concerned
with value than price. Usually the young and energetic prefer the more
adventurous holidays while the old prefer more casual holidays which are less
strenuous but still promote good health. The spurs have become more
fashionable with the old age. Educational tourism is also very popular with the
young and aspiring. Gender segmentation was previously common in
hairdressing cosmetics and magazines (Hudson, 2008).

Today it has become popular also in tourism. In recent years, women
travellers have been on the increase especially for business purposes. This
has called for hoteliers to have high quality soaps and lotions, better room
service and high quality bathrooms. It is generally agreed that women
travellers are more demanding compared to their male counterparts. Women
are also much concerned about their safety, security and comfort.
Social Class

It is the portion that one occupies within society and is determined by such
factors as education, wealthy, income, occupation, family prestige, etc

According to Seaton and Bennet (2004) social class and occupational grading
produce differentiated patterns of behaviour which have great impact on
tourism consumption.

In India, the caste system is one way of positioning someone in society.
Anyone who has departed from traditional India culture was called an
“untouchable” and anyone who would touch or glance at an untouchable was
considered defiled in the Hindu religion. The society in most economies is
divided into upper, middle and low classes. In recent years in Zimbabwe, the
middle class has been dying out and the gap between the rich and the poor
has been widening immensely. Tourism is still considered as the “Elite
Business” and the rest despite the desire, feel unqualified to undertake it.
There are places for highly placed in society e.g Pandari Lodge in Newlands
Harare. It is generally believed that the more the disposible income, the more
likely one is to travel.
Lifestyle

Lifestyle analysis examines the way people allocate time, energy and money.
Researchers in marketing have combined demographic and psychographic
variables into a concept called 'psychographics'. Psychographic analysis
attempts to measure people’s activities, interests and opinions (Hudson,
2008).

By profiting the way of living of groups of people, marketers are able to
predict their travel motivations and patterns. The VALS typology framework
divides the population into 8 lifestyle groups, defined according to factors
such as self – image, aspirations,
values and products used (www.sric-
bi.com/vals/)
Life Cycle

The family life cycle concept is based on the premise that when people live
together, they behave differently. These are the stages through which families
might pass as they mature. Single people are likely to behave different from
couples. Those with children will obviously have different spending patterns
from those who do not have children. Today most coups are DINKs (Double
Income No kids). These have a greater prosperity to spend eating out and are
generally more outgoing.

According to Pearce (1993), travel patterns and destinations vary as people
move through their life cycle. Tourists may also change their behaviour
patterns over time, so if the life cycle model is used to predict behaviour, then
trends in consumer behaviour need to be monitored.
Reference Groups (groups that have a direct or indirect enhance on a person's
attitude or behaviour)

People learn through sharing ideas and experiences with others in their
different reference groups; these include families, university, workplace or
church. Experienced travellers, who have been exposed to other cultures and
to people who are less fortunate, are influencing the new trend of volunteer
tourism (Philanthropy).

The UNWTO has recognised that there is a tendency among tourists to view
travel as a means for enhancing the quality of their own lives on a philosophy
of doing well while doing something good for society. Demand for such
developing niche markets as educational tourism, ecotourism, agritourism,
and cultural tourism have been mainly driven by the growing number of well
– heeled, well – educated older travellers. Travellers can take a 'volunteer
vacation' and give their time and expertise to help in projects in developing
countries. These trips aren’t free but they're often cheaper than conventional
tours.
TOURIST TYPOLOGIES

Tourism researchers have tried to explain tourist behaviour by developing
typologies of the tourists themselves. Plog (1974) has proposed what is
referred to as allocentrics or psychocentrics. Allocentrics are those travellers
who prefer pristine exotic destinations, unstructured and independent
vacations compared to package group tours. They also want an experience
with the local cultures.

Psychocentrics, to the contrary prefer the tried and tested destinations which
are more familiar. They also prefer packages tours to areas that are 'touristy'.
One class that is said to be neither Allocentric nor psychocentric the,
midcentric’ was seen to exist. Critics have argued that Plog's theory is difficult
to apply due to the fact that people travel for different reasons and with
different motivations on different occasions. Another scholar Cohen (1972)
has a different classification of tourists. He classifies them as;
1.Organised Mass tourists – dependent on all - inclusive tours.
2.Individual mass tourists – more acrimonious and free than those in the previous
group.
3.The Explorer – who seeks new areas?
4.The drifter – avoids any kind of 'tourist establishment.'