The effects of the video gaming industry on Finnish travelers

Abstract

The main goal of the thesis was to research if Finnish people are interested in video game related travel. Video gaming has grown to become a popular way for people of all ages to spend their leisure time. The video game industry is already a multi-billion-euro industry and it will continue to grow in the future. As video gaming is growing bigger, so is the travel market around it. Video gaming related events, esports, video game media and live streaming have influenced people to travel. The thesis investigated the market for Finnish video game travelers currently and the potential future of Finnish video game travel. Finding out the reasons why people are traveling to video game events was also an important aspect of the thesis. Results of this thesis can be beneficial for travel industry companies in expanding their customer markets in video game related travel.

The quantitative research method of an online survey was the chosen method used in this thesis. The survey was targeted at Finnish video gamers from all ages. The purpose was to find their opinions on video game related travel. To help find respondents for the survey, the survey was distributed through the help of social media and online gaming forums.

The results of the online survey showed that 29% of respondents have visited a video gaming related event. Out of all the respondents, 73% of them were motivated to travel to a video game related event in the future. Respondents showed keen interest in visiting large international gaming events. Having fun, spending leisure time and learning about new video games & gaming technology were the main reasons why respondents want to visit video game events. Respondents also stated in the survey that a lack of time and financial obstacles were main reasons on why they haven’t been able to visit a certain video game related event. Most of the respondents believe that the video gaming industry has an influence on Finnish travelers.

Results showed that there is a portion of Finnish gamers who already travel to gaming events, but not all gamers are interested in traveling to events. This number is likely to grow along with the growth of the gaming industry. Esports and live streaming influence the growth of Finnish video gaming travel. Financial stability among Finnish gamers will grow as gamers grow older. The thesis also provides suggestions on why travel companies should consider Finnish video game travelers as a potential target segment.