International Journal of Tourism and Travel

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Preference of Travel Companion in Tour Planning from Consumer Behaviour Perspective


Affiliations
1 Department of Business Management, University of Calcutta, West Bengal, India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


The main aim of this study is to understand the consumer preference of the travel companion while planning a trip which has a profound impact on his/her decision making while purchasing a travel related product and/or service. The analysis shows family occupies the topmost rank amongst all the available options for an Indian traveller when it comes to choosing travel companion while planning a trip. Therefore, at different stages of decision making, tastes, preferences, safety and security requirements of the family members also play crucial roles. The preference to travel with friends occupies the second rung on the preference ladder for the traveller. Another important observation is the increasing preference of the travellers to travel alone which has given rise to a number of solo travellers. This study also confirms the growing importance of such solo travellers in the tourism industry who need to be catered based on their tastes, preferences, needs and requirements.

Keywords

Tourism Industry, Consumer Sentiment, Consumer Preference, Travel Companion, Tourism Marketing.
Subscription Login to verify subscription
User
Notifications
Font Size


  • Boone, H., & Boone, D. (2012, April). Tools of the trade. Journal of Extension, 50(2). Retrieved April 23, 2018, from https://www.joe.org/joe/2012april/tt2.php

  • Chon, K., Pizam, A., & Mansfeld, Y. (Eds.). (2000). Consumer behavior in travel and tourism. NY: Routledge.

  • Crouch, G., Perdue, R., Timmermans, H., & Uysal, M. (Eds.). (2004). Consumer Psychology of Tourism, Hositality and Leisure (Vol. 3). Massachusetts: CABI Publishing.

  • Dempsey, C. (2015). Visa Global Travel Intentions Study 2015. Retrieved March 28, 2018, from https://www.pata.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/PGIC2015-CarolineDempsey.pdf

  • Goyal, M. (2017, December 24). India on the Go: International trips are growing faster than domestic travel. The Economic Times. Retrieved from https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/services/travel/india-on-the-go-international-trips-are-growing-faster-than-domestic-travel/articleshow/62224829.cms (accessed on 28 March, 2018)

  • Gravetter, F. J., & Forzano, L. B. (2017). Research methods for the behavioral sciences (6th ed.). Boston, USA: Cengage.

  • Horner, S., & Swarbrooke, J. (2016). Consumer Behaviour in Tourism (3rd ed.). New York: Routledge.

  • Kotler, P., & Armstrong, G. (2004). Principles of Marketing (10th ed.). NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

  • Kotler, P., & Armstrong, G. (2008). Marketing Management (12th ed.). NJ: Prentice Hall.

  • Kotler, P., & Armstrong, G. (2008). Principles of Marketing (12th ed.). New Delhi: Pearson Education Inc.

  • Moutinho, L. (1987). Consumer behaviour in tourism. European Journal of Marketing, 21(10), 5-44. doi:https://doi.org/10.1108/EUM0000000004718

  • PTI. (2016, September 12). Travelling solo is the most preferred choice among Indian women, say experts. India Today. Retrieved March 22, 2018, from https://www.indiatoday.in/travel/travel-buzz/story/solo-woman-travel-india-tourism-hotels-holidayiq-lifetr-340574-2016-09-12

  • Raaij, W. (1986). Consumer research on tourism mental and behavioral constructs. Annals of Tourism Research, 13(1), 1-9.

  • Seba, J. (Ed.). (2012). Tourism and Hopitality: Issues and Developments. ON, Canada: Apple Academic Press Inc.

  • Solo Travel Statistics and Data: 2017-2018. (2018, March). Retrieved from https://solotravelerworld.com/about/solo-travel-statistics-data/

  • The Boston Consulting Group, & Google. (June, 2017). Demystifying the Indian Online Traveller. Retrieved March 28 , 2018, from https://media-publications.bcg.com/BCG-Google-Demystifying-the-Indian-online-traveler-Jun-2017.pdf

  • Vacayholics. (2018). Types of Tourism. Retrieved March 30, 2018, from Vacayholics: https://vacayholics.com/types-of-tourism

  • Vigolo, V. (2017). Older tourist behavior and marketing tools. Switzerland: Springer.

  • Waugh, J. L. (2012). The solo traveler’s handbook (2nd ed.). Full Flight Press.

  • World Travel & Tourism Council. (2017, March). Travel & Tourism Economic Impact 2017 India. Retrieved March 28 , 2018, from https://www.wttc.org/-/media/files/reports/economic-impact-research/countries-2017/india2017.pdf

  • Xiang, Z., Wo¨ ber, K., & Fesenmaier, D. (2008). Representation of the online tourism domain in search engines. Journal of Travel Research, 47(2), 137–150.


Abstract Views: 308

PDF Views: 0




  • Preference of Travel Companion in Tour Planning from Consumer Behaviour Perspective

Abstract Views: 308  |  PDF Views: 0

Authors

Sanjukta Ganguly
Department of Business Management, University of Calcutta, West Bengal, India

Abstract


The main aim of this study is to understand the consumer preference of the travel companion while planning a trip which has a profound impact on his/her decision making while purchasing a travel related product and/or service. The analysis shows family occupies the topmost rank amongst all the available options for an Indian traveller when it comes to choosing travel companion while planning a trip. Therefore, at different stages of decision making, tastes, preferences, safety and security requirements of the family members also play crucial roles. The preference to travel with friends occupies the second rung on the preference ladder for the traveller. Another important observation is the increasing preference of the travellers to travel alone which has given rise to a number of solo travellers. This study also confirms the growing importance of such solo travellers in the tourism industry who need to be catered based on their tastes, preferences, needs and requirements.

Keywords


Tourism Industry, Consumer Sentiment, Consumer Preference, Travel Companion, Tourism Marketing.

References