Lifestyle Market Segmentation,Small Business Entrepreneurs,and the New Zealand Wine Tourism Industry

ABSTRACT

Wine tourism is an important niche activity for which participant needs and motivations have been somewhat under-researched. This paper describes a case study investigation to evaluate the nature of buyer/seller relationships that evolve in a wine tourism setting. Visitors to three small New Zealand wineries were interviewed to gather data relating to their lifestyle behaviors and their attitudes towards the wine tourism experience, and factor analysis used to categorize these visitors in terms of the List of Values typology of lifestyle characteristics. Results indicate that the 'achiever' and 'funlover' segments are well represented amongst winery visitors, but that there is an appreciably lower incidence of 'belonger' personalities. Implications of these findings for the wine tourism industry are considered.     

Escaping the Jungle

ABSTRACT

One of the most challenging, but also most interesting, features of tourism and hospitality as an area of study is that there is considerable variability in the backgrounds and training of those who are involved in its management. In some commercial sectors there is a lengthy tradition of the use of marketing as an integral component of management practice, while in public management organisations, marketing concepts are either unknown or mistrusted. This lack of application of marketing is particularly apparent in the management of tourism to protected areas such as National and State Parks and forests. An ongoing challenge in this sector is to conduct research into visitors and how they choose and enjoy their nature based leisure experiences. This article will report on a project to improve the study and management of visitors to the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area in the North Eastern part of Australia. The study involved a travel lifestyle market segmentation of over 1200 visitors to the area based on travel interests, activities and desired rainforest based tourism experiences. The analysis identified four core types of rainforest visitor and these groups were compared and contrasted in terms of their service quality ratings and overall satisfaction. The article concludes with links to the management frameworks for this tourism destination and the value of different segmentation techniques     

Leisure,gender and family: the influence of social policy

A number of authors have recently called for reconsideration of the way in which gender and the family are investigated within leisure studies. This paper proposes that future analyses should include more explicit recognition of the ideological and practical influence of social policy on contemporary gender relations. The paper suggests that social policy has particular significance for debates within leisure studies, about the relationship between men and women's market and domestic labour, and their access to leisure. The paper investigates the influence of social policy on male and female adult life patterns through comparative analysis of social policy interventions and labour market outcomes in the economically advanced nations. It focusses on the policy stance in relation to paid work, especially maternal and paternal employment. It is shown that ‘family-related’ social policies universally support fathers' employment, but vary in the extent to which they encourage mothers' labour market activity. The implications of this for gender differentiation in leisure are explored through analysis of cross-national data for male and female sports participation in Europe. The analysis shows a strong correlation between gender discrimination in family-related social policy, and differentials in male-female sports participation rates. The paper next considers the implications of policy intervention for divergence within the female population. A detailed case study of the UK examines how family-related policy may differentially affect women in different socio-economic situations. The paper concludes that whether family-related policies encourage women to see themselves primarily as caregivers within the family unit, or as citizens with individualized rights, is likely to affect both their sense of entitlement to personal leisure and their ability to access it.     

The multiple logics of tourism development in China

It has been widely demonstrated and accepted in the sustainable tourism literature that tourism development involves multiple stakeholders. However, little research has been conducted to examine the logics guiding and explaining the behaviours of the stakeholders in tourism development. Guided by the institutional logics perspective and stakeholder theory, this study identifies the logics of different stakeholders in China's tourism development through fieldwork in two tourism development cases (Yalong Bay and Haitang Bay) in Hainan Province and content analysis on secondary data from multiple sources. The logic of pursuing political legitimacy, the logic of fiscal income maximisation, the dual logics of the market and politics, and the logic of pursuing economic benefits were identified to be the dominant logics driving the behaviours of the central government, local government, tourism enterprises and local communities, respectively, in China's tourism development. This paper contributes to a better understanding of the dynamics of tourism development in China.     

The concept of lifestyle: a review

The paper is a review of literature and an analysis of the concept of lifestyle and its relationship to leisure. In the first part of the paper the review is divided into nine sections covering Weberian, sub-cultural, psychological, market research and psychographics, leisure/tourism styles, spatial, socialist lifestyles, consumer culture, gender, and miscellaneous approaches. In the second part of the paper a number of themes are identified and their roles in defining lifestyle are discussed; these are: activities/behaviour; values and attitudes; individuals versus groups; group interaction, coherence, recognisability and choice. In conclusion, a definition of lifestyle is offered and a brief indication of a research agenda is presented.     

EDITORS' NOTE

ABSTRACT

This paper examines the pre- and post-entry attitudes and expectations of university tourism students. A longitudinal study was conducted over three years to determine the degree of “fit” between employment and employee in the tourism industry, an industry often thought of as providing less than satisfactory working conditions. The study found that students are generally satisfied with their working conditions, but that students tend to have unrealistic expectations about the salary they will attract at graduation. In addition results show a significant increase before and after job entry between the importance given to intellectual challenge and the opportunities for promotion. There was also a significant decrease in the perceived importance of opportunities for travel, combining work and leisure, and outdoor work and an active lifestyle. Students' comments on their employment and educational experiences are included and the implications of this study for educators, researchers, students and industry are discussed.     

'Staying Within the Fence': Lifestyle Entrepreneurship in Tourism

Lifestyle, non-economic motives have been recognised as significant stimuli for tourism entrepreneurship and growth of the small-business sector. Tourism research, to date, has focused on the conceptualisation of entrepreneurship informed largely by economic analysis. In this context, the long-term survival of lifestyle entrepreneurs in tourism has been addressed as a constraint within regional economic development. Our research of an emerging cohort of lifestyle entrepreneurs in New Zealand tourism, focusing on the motivating values of these entrepreneurs, reveals that their often conscious rejection of economic and business growth opportunities is an expression of their sociopolitical ideology. Coincidentally, this rejection of an overtly profit-driven orientation does not necessarily result in financial suicide or developmental stagnation but rather provides opportunities to engage with 'niche' market consumers informed by values common to themselves within rapidly segmenting markets. Moreover, the research indicates that these lifestyle entrepreneurs are often instrumental in the creation and introduction of innovative products to the wider industry which are not only capable of articulating values common to the sustainability debate with respect to a sense of place and community, but also stimulate regional development and reproduction of niche market products.     

文化休闲旅游符号的思考——以丽江大研古城和徽州古村落为例

随着恩格尔系数的平稳下降,中国家庭与休闲相关的消费在不断攀升.文章从丽江大研古城沿街店铺经营业务入手,搜索大研古城的文化休闲旅游符号,分析其形成机制:外在动力机制有休闲时代的即将到来、市场需求的拉动;内在动力机制有自然因素、文化因素和政府决策因素.对比丽江大研古城和以宏村、西递为代表的徽州古村落,探讨不同文化背景的遗产旅游地发展过程中出现的两种特征:文化休闲旅游和文化观光旅游.文章认为,在休闲时代到来之际,传统的观光旅游逐渐向休闲度假旅游转变,文化型遗产地应冷静对待,避免盲动,做出适合自身文化本底的正确选择.     

Market Segmentation in Time of Crisis

SUMMARY

The MICE sector (meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions), has generated high foreign exchange revenue for the economy worldwide. In Thailand, MICE tourists are recognized as 'quality' visitors, mainly because of their high-spending potential. Nonetheless, Thailand's MICE sector has been influenced by a number of crises in the past since September 11, 2001. While a number of researchers have discussed the tourism market segmentation strategies during a crisis situation, less effort has focused on the MICE sector. Using Thailand as a case study, this research has adopted Seaton and Bennett's (1996, p. 31) concept of tourism market segmentation in order to understand the market segmentation strategy implemented by organizations in the MICE sector in time of crisis.     

Household Expenditure Patterns for Tourism Products and Services

The growing importance of the tourism industry, coupled with demographic, social and economic changes, highlights the need to study consumersÆ expenditure patterns for tourism products. Using 1990 Consumer Expenditure Survey data, this study examined leisure travel expenditure patterns of households, especially food, lodging, transportation, and sightseeing/entertainment expenditures. The results show that demographic and socioeconomic and cultural factors have a varying effect on each of the four expenditure categories. The research findings bear implications for marketing segmentation in various components of tourism industry, and suggest an effective research approach to develop pragmatic segmentation strategies.     

Tourism destination decisions: the impact of risk aversion and prior experience

This study broadly explores the impact of risk aversion on tourists' destination decisions and, in particular, explores for differences in individuals' leisure and medical tourism destination decisions. The results of this study indicate that risk aversion significantly distinguishes tourists' destination decisions in both leisure and medical tourism in Indonesia, but not in Singapore. All risk-averse groups are less likely to visit Indonesia than Singapore for leisure and medical purposes. By contrast, all risk-averse groups are likely to visit Singapore for leisure purposes, although they remain unlikely to travel to Singapore for medical tourism. In addition, the study found that the impact of prior experience on the likelihood that the two risk-averse groups will travel to Indonesia and Singapore for leisure was significant. Conversely, the effects of prior experience on medical tourism generally do not significantly differ between the two countries.     

Leisure & travel as class signifier: Distinction practices of China's new rich

Along with its open-door policy and economic reforms, wealth accumulation in China has experienced tremendous growth in a short time. Notably, a group of new rich has emerged in the process of wealth and social reconfiguration. Being rich creates tremendous possibilities for individuals to tailor their leisure activities and lifestyles. Situating individuals' travel in the overall spectrum of leisure, this study explores the distinction practices adopted by China's new rich at leisure sites. Phenomenological interviews were conducted with 29 China's High Net Wealth individuals. The findings discover the spectrum of highbrow–lowbrow tastes occurring at leisure sites with three patterns of leisure constructions: conspicuous waste, conspicuous taste, and lifestyle. Supplementing Veblen and Bourdieu's traditions, the study further deepens scholars' comprehension of social distinction in tourism academia.     

Leisure Market Segmentation:

Traditional segmentation schemes are often based on a grouping of consumers with similar preference functions. The research steps, ultimately leading to such segmentation schemes, are typically independent. In the present article, a new integrated approach to segmentation is introduced, which incorporates elements of traditional approaches, albeit in a new and innovative way. The new methodology and its potential managerial and policy relevance is illustrated using the Dutch initiative of reducing car use for leisure trips as an example.     

Political travel constraint: The role of Chinese popular nationalism

This study extends the leisure constraint model by examining the role that popular nationalism has in Chinese outbound travel. Using a case study approach based on the 2012 Diaoyu/Senkaku Island Incident between China and Japan, the study demonstrates how Chinese popular nationalism has the potential to shape the geopolitical environment of all outbound Chinese tourism. The study proposes a new model that can be used to illustrate how popular nationalism may affect bilateral tourism in other settings. Findings of this study offer important insights for both scholars and practitioners contributing to the understanding of the impact of Chinese popular nationalism on bilateral tourism flows.     

Landscape Sensitivity and Tourism Development

The paper argues that carrying capacity is not the most effective way to analyse the relationship between the 'natural' environment and tourism pressure. Rather that concepts embedded within geomorphology, namely 'lag time', 'environmental thresholds' and 'dynamic metastable equilibrium' may provide a better approach to examine feedback between tourism and the environment. This could also provide the conceptual framework for the integration of the natural and social sciences in the study of tourism impacts, and the mechanism for truly sustainable development. The paper contends that the identification and management of threshold events and the use of base-line data on time scales of 10² to 10³ years should be at the centre of the decision-making process. The paper warns against the use of 'limits of acceptable change' as a way of managing the interplay between tourism and the environment. The relationship between shoreline management and tourism development is used to illustrate the arguments presented.     

Policy,Support and Promotion for Food-Related Tourism Initiatives

Summary

Increasingly, regional tourism development initiatives are utilizing locally-produced foodstuffs and beverages to: strengthen areas' tourism products; enhance visitors' experiences; and help maintain and enhance the viability of local food production and processing sectors. This paper examines the ways in which food and tourism are being drawn together at a theoretical level by academics, at a strategic level by policy makers, and at an applied level by developers and practitioners. While the marketing philosophy provides a useful framework for the planning and management of food-related tourism initiatives, adopting such an approach is problematic owing to a shortfall in our understanding of consumer behavior with regard to food in the context of leisure and tourism. In the absence of such knowledge, and in the light of the positive economic and social benefits which such initiatives can create, this paper examines the ways in which food-related tourism initiatives are being promoted using the World Wide Web. The research highlights inadequacies in the web-based promotion of food-related tourism initiatives in the UK and suggests that, while this type of tourism is at an early stage in the product life-cycle (in the UK), these shortcomings are also due in part to the fragmented infrastructure for regional tourism development and promotion in the UK. Additionally, practical recommendations are made as regards design factors for the provision of web-based tourism information.     

Book Reviews

John Tribe's paper 'Education for Ethical Tourism Action' (10 (4), 2002) proposes an action-oriented ethical tourism curriculum based on Aristotle's notion of phronesis, aimed at developing a disposition towards 'good' action rather than 'correct' action. This paper investigates the implications of Tribe's paper for the pedagogy and practice of sustainable tourism. Drawing upon Aristotle, it is argued that principles are an important guide to developing and exercising phronesis (practical wisdom) for living a good life, and for the practice of sustainable tourism. The paper also examines issues related to theoretical or scientific knowledge (episteme) and skill development (techne), and argues for a praxis-oriented curriculum that incorporates: (1) knowledge of sustainable-tourism principles, and (2) practice in which learned principles and phronesis (practical wisdom) constitutively guide tourism action and good conduct. The study also suggests that scholars and practitioners need to be more proactive and cognisant of the telos (purpose) and good of various tourism activities and curricula, for the individual and for the destination. Especially lacking in the study of sustainable tourism is discussion of the development of virtues and character for a good life in and through tourism. Virtue ethics offers potential for supplementing existing theories of rightness and obligation in sustainable tourism, and for conceptualising the meaning of 'good tourism'.     

Socio-spatial complexity in leisure development

Connections between socio-spatial complexity in a social domain and Foucauldian discourse analysis gain momentum in the wider social sciences, but have been marginalized in leisure and tourism research. We combine, explore and expand theories of socio-spatial complexity with leisure-led regional development and Foucauldian discourse analysis, for the first time in tourism studies. Based on interviews with 37 local leisure and tourism stakeholders in the Dutch province of Fryslân, we analyze how discourses condition leisure development. Through Foucauldian analysis we uncover powerful discourses behind interactions that drive socio-spatial complexity. Values and meanings in these discourses condition a region's tourism and leisure development. Established discourses structure which tourism and leisure developments are pursued, and shifts in these discourses trigger structural societal changes.     

Travel and Leisure Services Preferences and Patronage Motives of Older Consumers

The population is aging and the number of people over 55 (older consumers) is increasing. Firms which recognize the importance of the older consumer segment can use this demographic change to their advantage. However, the older consumer market is more heterogeneous than the younger consumer market when it comes to preferences, motives, and spending patterns. Travel and leisure services are no exception. This study reports the result of a large‐scale study that examined the responses to travel and leisure services and patronage motives of different age and lifestyle groups. The results suggest several marketing strategies that would be most appropriate for reaching older consumers of travel and leisure services.