Modelling the destination preferences and travel motivations of tourists in an emerging market context

Abstract

The decision to travel is a complex occurrence involving a variety of multidimensional elements, considerations and decisions. It typically comprises travel motives (push factors) and negotiating destination choices (pull factors), which are influenced by circumstantial and contextual factors. Although a vast array of research has been done on the topic of travel motivation, very little research has been done to determine influences on these choices, as well as the role of barriers in selecting destinations. Most of the research on this topic has focused on plotting tourism movements and preferences, but very little research done to understand the drivers behind such behaviours and how choices are influenced. This thesis contributes to the body of knowledge on this topic.

The existing body of literature predominantly comprises of research on the experienced traveller, whilst often neglecting the emergent traveller. Due to historical social injustices and existing inequalities, emergent travellers face more travel barriers (structural and symbolic). In response to this conceptual and knowledge gap, this thesis focuses on the emergent traveller and factors that impact choices, considering different contextual factors and barriers. This is important if regenerative and sustained tourism growth is to be achieved.

This study seeks to better understand how those who have typically been marginalised by, or excluded from tourism, can be brought into the tourism industry. It promulgates adoption of a more inclusive tourism growth framework and investigates how some of the Westernised theories of tourism participation could meaningfully be adapted, amended or confirmed. Successful marketing and growth strategies are based on identifying and appropriately targeting homogenous groups from more heterogeneous populations. This study attempts to understand destination choices among emergent travellers better and will assist in segmenting emergent travellers which will assist enterprises in designing relevant marketing strategies suitable to discrete groups of tourists, including emergent travellers. The thesis is set within South Africa which offers a unique opportunity to advance the theoretical and empirical understanding of the dynamics and predictors of destination/activity preferences of adults in an emerging market with ongoing high levels of material inequality and a history of legislative discrimination (in the case of South Africa toward a majority population). The context allows for research to determine the impact of barriers such as racial prejudice on travel preferences. South Africa is therefore considered ideal since it provides the opportunity to (a) explore destination choices among people that have experienced discriminatory practices; (b) provides a large contingent of emergent travellers, and (c) provides an opportunity to determine travel preferences for disparate socioeconomic groups. The thesis employs quantitative methodology, using nationally representative data, based on specialised travel modules fielded as part of the South African Social Attitudes Survey (SASAS). The sample sizes of each of the datasets exceed 2 800 respondents and are therefore large enough to conduct the analysis with adequate precision.

The first article focuses on travel constraints (both structural and symbolic) and how these have impacted specific destination choice preferences over time (2006-2017). The marginality/ethnicity hypothesis theories formed the basis of the article and regression analyses was used to determine trends in the predictors of travel destination preferences. Article two focuses on destination product preferences and how travel experience impacts the number and combinations of destination choices. It determined if (and how) different travel destination choices vary by rank order between well-travelled and emergent individuals. The analysis gauged whether destination preferences form a Travel Career Ladder (TCL) (Pearce, 1983) or Travel Career Pattern (TCP) (Pearce, 2005) as postulated by these longstanding theoretical models. The taxonomy of McKercher (2016) was used for destination classification, and a cluster and CHAID analysis formed the basis of the analysis. Article three determines the interlinkages between motives (push factors) and destinations (pull factors), considering household income level (banded income). This was done by means of a threshold regression that categorised the data on motivations provided for visiting certain destinations using income thresholds. Results found that race, as a differential variable to travel destination choice, not only remained, but in fact increased despite the abolishment of legislative segregation policies. This related specifically to interest in Game Parks, where the significance of race as a discriminatory variable increased over the last decade. In addition, results from the thesis challenge the notion of a fixed racial preference in tourism and illustrate that differences in destination preferences among minority (ethnic) groups within race groups are often greater than between race groups. Another finding illustrated that preferences for destinations were best explained by the inter-relational effects of age, income and ethnic group. Geographic residency of the traveller was also found to have a large impact on destination choice and the formation of a travel habitus.

One of the most significant contributions of this thesis pertains to transitioning of groups to new leisure preferences. Young and wealthy individuals within a community generally mirror venturers’ notions, exhibiting a heightened interest in tourism spaces outside the habitus. Age and wealth thus act as enablers for individuals within communities to start to explore new destinations, which are insightful, especially from a tourism growth perspective. Results indicated that travel experience furthermore impacted travel choice set sizes, implying that travel experience creates a desire for travel and interest in a greater variety of travel destinations. This study also showed that travel experience does not create travel habits that form a career ladder – thus not creating a heightened interest in lower order taxon destinations or more specific destinations. Travel experience rather creates a travel career pattern with certain destinations being universally popular. In this case, going to the beach, shopping and VFR emerged as core and popular, regardless of travel experience. A threshold regression, which grouped travellers with similar motives into categories using income thresholds, revealed that different income groups have different motives for visiting different destinations, showing that a marketing strategy based on generic motives per destination would not have universal appeal.

Collectively, this thesis provides novel insight into advancing the theoretical and empirical understanding of the dynamics and predictors of destination preferences of adults in an emerging market with a history of legislative discrimination and high levels of material inequality. It challenges existing theory and illustrates that motives and combinations of motives differ for different income thresholds, thus advancing the TCP theory. It contributes to the body of knowledge on pull factors, illustrating that some destinations can be considered as core or popular, regardless of income or travel experience. This study also makes a methodological contribution when undertaking a threshold regression based on income to group motives of travel. It furthermore uses a range of quantitative methodologies to interrogate data within a unique context, where travel behaviour could be investigated given distinct time periods.