Fuzzy Modelling of Tourist Motivation: An Age-Related Model for Sustainable, Multi-Attraction, Urban Destinations (original) (raw)

The effects of travel motivation on satisfaction: The case of older tourists

International journal of business and social science, 2018

Older tourists have become an increasingly attractive market segment for both tourism businesses and tourist destinations. Specifically, several studies have shown that older tourists tend to travel in off-peak seasons, thus representing an interesting target, especially for destinations willing to reduce seasonality. Destination marketers should strive to understand older tourists’ travel motivations and their effect on overall satisfaction with the destination. Based on these premises, this paper investigates the effect of older tourists’ travel motivations on overall satisfaction with a mature, highly seasonal destination. A survey was carried out among a sample of 211 older tourists in Sirmione, a destination located on Lake Garda, Italy. The data collected were analyzed using both descriptive statistics and linear regression. The findings highlight the relationships between four motivations—culture, pleasure-seeking, relaxation, and physical—and overall tourist satisfaction wit...

Cognitive age as a criterion explaining senior tourists' motivations

International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to gain a broader knowledge of the concept of cognitive age and its use as a variable when segmenting the market of people aged over 55.Design/methodology/approachA proposal for measuring this variable was developed, the dimensions used being: actions, interests, feelings, health, thinking and expectations. A personal survey of 400 individuals aged over 55 who had been involved in some tourist travel in the last year was undertaken.FindingsA principal component analysis resulted in the extraction of a single factor labeled “cognitive age”. The outcome of the cluster analysis undertaken was the establishment of two segments, i.e. active livers and stable passives. The technique of multiple correspondence analysis reflected differences both in motivations for tourism and in the behavior as tourists of the two segments.Research limitations/implicationsIt should be pointed out that there were insufficient repetitions of the methodology to indicate rel...

Older tourists' travel motivations and overall satisfaction at the destination: The case of Sirmione

2017

Purpose: As the number of older tourists is progressively growing due to population ageing, tourism destinations are increasingly striving to attract them. For this purpose, destination marketers need to gain deep knowledge about the relationships between older tourists’ travel motivations and satisfaction at the destination. This paper aims to provide an in-depth examination of such relationships in a specific destination, highlighting the effects of four travel motivations (culture; pleasure-seeking; relaxation; physical). Methodology: A cross-section design was adopted based on a survey among a sample of older tourists visiting Sirmione, a mature destination located on Lake Garda, Italy. Data were analyzed through multiple techniques, including analyses of variance and linear regression. Findings: The results reveal that relaxation was the most important motivation making older tourists decide to visit Sirmione. Moreover, relaxation was the only motivation showing a statistically...

Age matters: how demographics influence visitor perception and attitude at the destination level

The competitiveness of tourist attractions depends on satisfying visitors, saving money, and achieving revisits. Therefore, it is very important to know the roles of visitors' awareness of their satisfaction, theoretical relationships, and loyalty to a destination in both theoretical and empirical aspects. In most of the previous empirical research related to the relationships among destination images, visitors' satisfaction, and their behavioural intentions to a destination, the moderating variables were not considered. Therefore, in this study, we analyse the moderating effects of certain personal features of different age groups on the theoretical relationship among visitors' satisfaction and their behavioural intentions to a destination and that destination's image. More specially, this research is conducted based on the exploration of the influences of differences in ages on the relationships between the destination's image and the visitors' satisfaction or behavioural intentions. Based on the multiple-group causes and effect analyses, the research results show that the visitors' personal features significantly affect the relationship between the destination's image and visitors' satisfaction or behavioural intentions. Moreover, in general, these relationships tend to be stronger for younger visitors. Finally, the influences are analysed and discussed in both the theoretical and practical aspects.