Understanding the Leisure Traveler: Reliable Data with Practical Relevance

Dr Robert van der VeenOxford Brookes University

Tourism Ambassadors• Chris Hemsworth – Australia • Jackie Chan – Hong Kong• Song Joong-ki – South Korea

• Nielsen survey conducted for Tourism Australia revealed that the Chris Hemsworth’s star power helped the advertisement perform better with target audiences than other campaigns – 2016

Celebrity endorsement

• Ensured Attention

• Associative Benefits

• PR Coverage

• Higher Degree of Recall

• Establishment of Credibility

Celebrity endorsement• Celebrity Twitter tweets used by South Australian Tourism

Commission to market Kangaroo Island

• The tourism commission is paying celebrities AU$ 750 per tweet to lure visitors to the island

• "Bring on Kangaroo Island. Saw the TV ad last night and makes me wish I was visiting sooner rather than later." - Matt Moran, @chefmattmoran, March 28, 2012

Celebrity endorsement• High achievers (more expensive)

• Believable and credibility (honesty/testimonial)

• Is known/popular (familiarity)

• Is likable/admired (regional implications)

• Is recognizable (protective equipment/costumes)

• Ease of recall (TOMA)

• Is congruent with the target market (lifestyle)

• Is physically attractive (higher ratings)

• Continuity (risks involved)

Predictive modelATTRACTIVENESS

BELIEVABILITY

ATTITUDE TO AD

ATTITUDE TO BRAND

INTENTIONS

Van der Veen, R. & Song, H. (2014) Journal of Travel Research 53(2) 211-224

Hong Kong Tourist Satisfaction Index

Aggregate Service Satisfaction

Hotels

Immigration

Attractions

Restaurants

Retails Shops

Transportation

Destination Satisfaction

Song et al. (2012) Annals of Tourism Research 39(1) 459-479

Predictive model

Overall Satisfaction Index by Sector (2008 -2015)

www.touristsatisfaction.org

Overall Satisfaction Index by Source Market (2008 -2015)

Comparison Across Destinations - 2015

www.touristsatisfaction.org

Return intentions• Intention to return is often used as a surrogate measure for actual repeat

visit based on the premise that without intentions people will not act

• Inconsistencies due to an overestimation of the likelihood that travellers will engage in actual behaviour

• When travellers are asked to envision a future action, they tend to report their desires instead of their intentions

• Intent to return may be a better reflection of satisfaction than any real future behaviour

McKercher, B. & Tse, T. (2012) Journal of Travel Research 51(6) 671-686

Return intentions• Intentions may change over time - the greater the gap, the greater the

likelihood of change

• Intentions may be provisional, since travellers are not engaged in real decision making during surveys (+ add time frame for accuracy)

• One certainty in tourism is that many will visit only once

• Measure intentions to recommend either off/online

McKercher, B. & Tse, T. (2012) Journal of Travel Research 51(6) 671-686

Production vs Consumption• Over 50% of travellers consume information, but only 17% actually

produce content

• Those involved are more likely to produce, consume and share their travel experiences online

• Those who are more engaged, the more likely they gain + report a positive experience (co-creation)

• Encouraging travellers to produce social media in exchange for incentives, discounts or coupons? Amaro et al. (2016) Annals of Tourism Research (59) 1-15

Big data• Powerful for analysing trends and resolve issues quickly

• Collect, mine data and use such intelligence for customized destination marketing campaigns

• Digital footprints provide opportunities to align offerings with needs, enhance and customize travel services

• Monitor focus of attention, heart rate for degree of excitement and position to improve safety and visitor flow

Travel movement patterns – Hong KongLau, G. & McKercher, B. (2007) Tourism and Hospitality Research 7(1) 39-49

Collaboration with Universities

• Strengthen links with communities (businesses, policy makers and universities) engaged with tourism development

• Establish networks to generate new knowledge and implement actions collaboratively to create mutual benefits

robert.vanderveen@brookes.ac.uk