In the Footsteps of Tourists
Khan, Ishaa (2024)
2024
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024052716260
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024052716260
Tiivistelmä
The objective of this research-based thesis is to identify the key factors influencing tourists when choosing a travel destination, with the goal of providing valuable insights to enhance the decision-making processes for stakeholders in the tourism industry. The research delves into the influence of various factors on these choices and explores the role of technology in shaping the decision-making process.
Understanding the factors that influence tourists when choosing a destination is important to the tourism industry since it provides stakeholders insight into what potential tourists want. Consequently, stakeholders can use different strategies to boost tourist demand in the extremely competitive tourism sector.
The theoretical framework revolves around understanding tourist behavior by utilizing Plog`s model and Push-Pull theory. This study combines these frameworks to explore key concepts like tourist behavior, preferences, travel motivation, destination choice, and segmentation.
Data collection for this thesis focuses on the qualitative research method. The questionnaire was designed with a set of 10 open-ended questions, which allowed the participants to give more detailed and personal answers. A total of 10 interviews from the ages 19-55 were carried out using a hybrid approach, combining face-to-face interviews on the campus for participants physically present and online interviews via Zoom for those situated remotely.
The main results indicate that people's travel motivation is heavily influenced by their budget and the type of accommodation they choose. Additionally, recommendations from family and friends, cultural appeal, and good weather are significant factors. Geographical preferences, such as unique locations or proximity to family, also play a role. Work-related dissatisfaction and opportunities for career or educational advancement influence destination choices for some. Trends show a shift towards budget-friendly options like Airbnb and low-cost carriers, with a growing reliance on self-booking and online planning. Technology, particularly social media, plays a crucial role in travel decision-making, offering inspiration and virtual tools for planning and visualization.
There were also recommendations from the participants to businesses and destinations to enhance the overall experience, which can be found in Chapter 6.
Understanding the factors that influence tourists when choosing a destination is important to the tourism industry since it provides stakeholders insight into what potential tourists want. Consequently, stakeholders can use different strategies to boost tourist demand in the extremely competitive tourism sector.
The theoretical framework revolves around understanding tourist behavior by utilizing Plog`s model and Push-Pull theory. This study combines these frameworks to explore key concepts like tourist behavior, preferences, travel motivation, destination choice, and segmentation.
Data collection for this thesis focuses on the qualitative research method. The questionnaire was designed with a set of 10 open-ended questions, which allowed the participants to give more detailed and personal answers. A total of 10 interviews from the ages 19-55 were carried out using a hybrid approach, combining face-to-face interviews on the campus for participants physically present and online interviews via Zoom for those situated remotely.
The main results indicate that people's travel motivation is heavily influenced by their budget and the type of accommodation they choose. Additionally, recommendations from family and friends, cultural appeal, and good weather are significant factors. Geographical preferences, such as unique locations or proximity to family, also play a role. Work-related dissatisfaction and opportunities for career or educational advancement influence destination choices for some. Trends show a shift towards budget-friendly options like Airbnb and low-cost carriers, with a growing reliance on self-booking and online planning. Technology, particularly social media, plays a crucial role in travel decision-making, offering inspiration and virtual tools for planning and visualization.
There were also recommendations from the participants to businesses and destinations to enhance the overall experience, which can be found in Chapter 6.