Information Sources Used by Visitors Looking for Different Benefits: The Case of Portorož
Abstract
This paper examines the information sources of visitors to Portorož for four identified distinct clusters of visitors. The study focused on using a single one source of infor- mation about Portorož regardless of the cluster to which the visitors belonged. The Internet and brochures were identified as the most important sources of information in general. The cluster defined as “well-being visitors” demonstrated a significantly different structure of information sources, relying predominantly on brochures and the Internet. Unlike first-time visitors, regular visitors indicated a relatively low per- centage of Internet and brochure use.
Downloads
References
Andereck, K. L. (2005). Evaluation of a tourist brochure. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 18(2), 1–13. http://dx.doi.org/10.1300/J073v18n02_01
Beh, A., & Bruyere, B. L. (2007). Segmentation by visitor motivation in three Kenyan national reserves. Tourism Management, 28(6), 1464–1371. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2007.01.010
Bieger, T., & Laesser, C. (2000). Information sourcing by Swiss travellers. Tourism Analysis, 5(2–4), 125–130.
Bieger, T., & Laesser, C. (2001). Segmenting travel on the sourcing of Information. In J. A. Mazanec, G. I. Crouch, J. R. Brent Ritchie, & A.G. Woodside (Eds.), Consumer psychology of tourism, hospitality and leisure (pp. 153–168). Oxon (UK): CABI. http://dx.doi.org/10.1079/9780851995359.0153
Bieger, T., & Laesser, C. (2002). Market segmenta- tion by motivation: The case of Switzerland. Journal of Travel research, 41(1), 68–76. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/004728750204100110
Boo, S., & Jones, D. L. (2009). Using a validation process to develop market segmentation based on travel motivation for major metropolitan areas. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 26(1), 60–79. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10548400802656801
Buhalis, D. (2003). e-Tourism: Information technology for strategic tourism management. Harlow, England: Prentice Hall.
Calantone, R., & Johar, J. (1984). Seasonal segmenta- tion of the tourism market using a benefit segmentation framework. Journal of Travel Research, 23(2), 14–24. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/004728758402300203
Chen, J. S., & Gursoy, J. (2000). Cross-cultural comparison of the information sources used by first-time and repeat travelers and its marketing implications. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 19(2), 191–203. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0278-4319(00)00013-X
Choi, S., Lehto, X. Y., & Morrison, A. M. (2008). Segmenting Chinese tourists by information source variables: Focusing on first-time visitors to Macau. Journal of Hospitality and Leisure Marketing, 16(1–2), 81–104.
Choi, W. M., & Tsang, C. K. L. (1999). Activity-based seg- mentation on pleasure travel market of Hong Kong private housing residents. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 8(2), 75–97. http://dx.doi.org/10.1300/J073v08n02_06
Crotts, J. C. (1999). Consumer decision making and pre- purchase information search. In A. Pizam & Y. Mansfeld (Eds.), Consumer behaviour in travel and tourism (pp. 149–168). New York: The Haworth Hospitality Press.
Dey, B., & Sarma, M. K.(2010). Information source usage among motive-based segments of travelers to newly emerging tourist destinations. Tourism Management, 31(3), 341–344. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2009.03.015
Diaz-Perez, F. M., Bethencourt-Cejaz, M., & Alvarez- Gonzales, J. A. (2005). The segmentation of canary island tourism markets by expenditure: Implications for tourism policy. Tourism Management, 26(6), 961–964. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2004.06.009
Dolnicar, S., & Gruen, B. (2008). Challenging “factor- cluster segmentation.” Journal of Travel Research, 47(1), 63–71. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0047287508318910
Dolnicar, S., & Leisch, F. (2003). Winter tourist segments in Austria: Identifying stable vacation styles using bagged clustering techniques. Journal of Travel Research, 41(3), 281–292. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0047287502239037
European Travel Commission. (2010). New media travel watch. Retrieved from http://www.newmediatrendwatch.com
Fodness, B., & Murray, G. (1999). A model of tourist information search behaviour. Journal of Travel Research, 37(3), 220–230. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/004728759903700302
Frochot, I. (2005). A benefit segmentation of tourists in rural areas: A Scottish perspective. Tourism Management, 26(3), 335–346. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2003.11.016
Galloway, G. (2002). Psychographic segmentation of park visitor markets: Evidence for the utility of sensation seeking. Tourism Management, 23(6), 581–596. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0261-5177(02)00025-0
Gursoy, D., & Chi, C. G. (2008). Travellers’ information search behaviour. In A. Pizam (Ed.), Handbook of hospitality marketing management (pp. 266-297). Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-045080-3.50013-5
Haley, R. (1968). Benefit segmentation: A decision-ori- ented research tool. Journal of Marketing, 32(3), 30–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1249759
Hu, B., & Yu, H. (2007). Segmentation by craft selection criteria and shopping involvement. Tourism Management, 28(4), 1079–1092. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2006.07.006
Jang, S. C., Morrison, A. M., & O’Leary, J. T. (2001). Benefit segmentation of Japanese pleasure travelers to the USA and Canada: Selecting target markets based on the profitability and risk of individual market segments. Tourism Management, 23(4), 367–378. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0261-5177(01)00096-6
Juaneda, C., & Sastre, F. (1999). Balearic islands tourism: A case study in demographic segmentation. Tourism Management, 20(4), 549–552. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0261-5177(99)00006-0
Kachigan, S. K. (1991). Multivariate statistical analysis: A conceptual introduction. New York: Radius.
Kotler, P., & Armstrong, G. (2009). Principles of marketing. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Kozak, M. (2002). Comparative analysis of tourist motivations by nationality and destinations. Tourism Management, 23(3), 221–232. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0261-5177(01)00090-5
Kozak, N., & Kozak, M. (2008). Information sources available to visitors: A segmentation analysis. Tourism Review, 63(4), 4–12. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/16605370810912173
Kribel, Z., & Bojnec, Š. (2007). Internet and e-commerce service adoption by the Slovenian travel agencies: A comparative view. International Journal of Services and Standards, 3(3), 277–288. http://dx.doi.org/10.1504/IJSS.2007.013749
Lee, C.-K., Lee, Y.-K., Bernhard, B. J., & Yoon, Y.-S. (2006). Segmenting casino gamblers by motivation: A cluster analysis of Korean gamblers. Tourism Management, 27(5), 856–866. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2005.05.009
Mazanec, J. (2000). Market segmentation. In J. Jafari (Ed.), Encyclopedia of tourism. London: Routledge.
McKerchner, B., Ho, P. S. Y., du Cros, H., & So-Ming,
B. S. (2002). Activity-based segmentation of the cultural tourism market. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 12(1), 23–46. http://dx.doi.org/10.1300/J073v12n01_02
Middleton, V., Fyall, A., & Morgan, M. (2009). Marketing in travel and tourism. Amsterdam: Elsevier.
Mok, C., & Iverson T. J. (2000). Expenditure-based segmentation: Taiwanese tourists to Guam. Tourism Management, 21(3), 299–305. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0261-5177(99)00060-6
Nemec Rudež, H., Sedmak, G., & Bojnec, Š. (2011). Benefit segmentation in the seaside destination in phase of market-repositioning: The case of Portorož. Internation- al Journal of Tourism Research, 4(3), doi: 10-1002/jtr.881
Sarigollu, E., & Huang, R. (2005). Benefit segmentation of visitors to Latin America. Journal of Travel Research, 43(3), 277–293. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0047287504272032
Sirakaya, E., Uysal, M., & Yoshioka, C. F. (2003). Segmenting the Japanese tour market to Turkey. Journal of Travel Research, 41(3), 293–304. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0047287502239038