Consumer Behaviour in Tourism: Influencing Decision Making and Buying Behavior

This report discusses consumer behaviour in the tourism industry, focusing on the decision-making process and buying behavior. It explores the stages of consumer decision making, the influence of marketers, and the differences between B2B and B2C decision making. The report also covers market research methods and their application in understanding customer needs, as well as the factors that influence tourism decision making and buying behavior.

Consumer Behaviour

INTRODUCTION
Consumer behaviour can be describe as a study which in related to how a person,
customer or group of individual react towards particular goods or services (Cai and et.al.,
2004). It is very essential for an organisation to study the behaviour of customer with the
motiev of provide better services or products. This is very helpful in enhancing sales as well
as profitability of organisation. Chosen company for this report is Holiday Inn. This is one of
the well known British organisation that is performing business activities in hospitality and
tourism sector. This company was established by Kemmons Wilson in 1952. This
organisation is offering its high quality services and products to various area of globe.
Holiday Inn headquarter is established in Denham, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom. This
report includes Different stages that is included in consumer decision making journey. It
consist of significant of path mapping for buying decisions as well as comprehension of
decision making of consumer for marketer. This report includes how a marketer respond to
process decision taking and comparing different among the process of B2C and B2B decision
making. Various methods of reaching market has been identified as well as evaluated. Apart
from this different phase of process tourism decision making has been identified for marketer.
P3.
Consumer decision making process play a important role in tourism services as it is
very important for all those organization that is performing business activities in respective
sector to understand customer need and requirement (Cohen and et.al., 2014). This is very
supportive in taking appropriate as well as accurate decision which will lead to meeting with
customer wants. Consumer decision making journey can be describe as action that is taken by
organisation with the motive of analyse consumer needs. This process includes five different
stages which is mention below in detail. Holiday Inn company needs to understand decision
making journey of consumer with the motive of with customers requirement.
Recognition of needs:
It is considered as the initial phase of decision making journey of consumer as in this
respective company will try to identify needs of customers. it is essential for Holiday Inn
organisation to recognise customers requirement to order to full fill it in effective manner.
Searching and gathering Information:

Each and every customer have different need and requirement and respective
company needs t focus on searching as well as gathering information about customers. this
will help in understanding consumer need and wants in correct way as well as meet it. On the
bases of information gathered by organisation, products and services are modified for
customers.
Evaluating the Alternatives:
After gather information about customers, Holiday Inn company will evaluate each
and every alternatives (Correia, Kozak and Ferradeira, 2013). In this organisation needs to
identify as well as analyse pros and cons of alternatives with the motive of taking effective
decisions for business development.
Potential Purchase of the Good or the Service:
At this stages of customer decision making journey consumer will actually buy
commodity and services provided by organisation. In this Holiday Inn organization needs to
used different tools and techniques to pull large number of consumers towards its products
and services.
Post Purchase Evaluation:
This can be describe as the final phase of customer decision taking process and in this
Holiday Inn company needs to provide post purchase services. in this organisation have to
evaluate feedback of customers as well as try to develop strong relationship with them
P4.
Mapping a path to purchase is considered as very crucial for Holiday Inn organisation
to as well as realizing the consumer decision taking. There are various advantages that will
be achieved by respective company by mapping a path (Ekinci and Hosany, 2006). This can
be refers as way to understating customers requirements as well as need in order to satisfy it
in effective manner. There are many significant of mapping a path to buy or these are
mention below in detail.
Understating customer requirement – It is very difficult task for an organisation to
understand customers needs. By mapping a path Holiday Inn organization is able to
understand customer needs and requirements. Through this respective organisation will be

able to modify products and services in such a manner that it will lead to full fill customers
requirements.
Enhancing customer experience – Mapping a path is considered to be important for
Holiday In organisation as this will help in enhancing customer experience. By map a path to
buy and understand consumer decision organization is able to modify its product and services
as per need. This will directly lead to enhancing experience of customers.
Competitive advantage – There are numerous organization that is offering their
services and goods in hospitality and tourism sectors (Funk and et.al., 2016). It is very
important for Holiday Inn company to map a path for understanding decision taken by
customer. Mapping a path will lead to increase competitive advantages over different
competitor organization.
Developing priorities - It is necessary for this organization to create priorities as this
will help in taking better business decisions. By mapping a path Holiday Inn organization
will be capable to creating its priorities in correct manner as well as able to take better
business decision for growth and development of organisation.
M2
Marketer needs to understand as well as evaluate needs and requirement of customers
in order to enhancing business activities. Holiday Inn company is using information and
communication techniques in effective manner with the motive of perform enterprise
functions in effectual way. Marketer needs to respond in positive way to the process of
decision taking as this will help in enhancing performance of respective company.
TASK 3
P5.
There is huge different between the decision taken by hospitality business for business
to consumer as well as business to business (Horner and Swarbrooke, 2016). It is very
important for an organisation to identify need and requirement of its customers or clients
with the motive of meeting with their necessarily as well as requirement. Different between
the decision taken by Holiday Inn in context of B2B and B2C is mention below in detail.
Business to business – Holiday Inn organization needs to identify needs and wants of
all those business which is performing activities with respective company. Business to

business can be describe as way in which Holiday Inn company is conducting its business
operation in order to meet with the needs of other business. In this respective company will
focus on selling more and more products or services (Jauhari and Manaktola, 2007). Holiday
Inn company will try to increase sales and profits by meeting with the needs of other
business. There are various techniques and tools that could be used by respective organization
with the motive of enhance its sales.
Business to consumer – Customers are considered as very important part of
organisation and in this respective company will try to meet with its potential customers
requirement. While conducting business function in context of business to consumer Holiday
Inn organization will try to identify as well as analyse customers wants. This will be very
helpful in meeting with the requirement of customers. In this process respective organization
will have to needs to focus on attracting more and more customers towards organisation.
P6. Different approaches to market research and methods of research used for understanding
the decision making process.
So as to evaluate the demands as well as the needs of the market it is very essential
that Holiday Inn deals and analyse all the decision making process carefully. Such practice
aids in knowing the desires of customers and visitors as well as assist in developing powerful
strategies which ultimately aids in growth of company (Li and Bihu, 2013). Holiday Inn has
been rendering their facilities and services to big and large number of customers for their
wonderful and luxurious stay, so it is important to monitor the market needs and make
decisions appropriately for smooth functioning and quality services. Various methods which
can be utilised to understand the process of making decisions have been discussed below.
Primary research method – This methods comes under the market research
approach of business to consumer. Such research approach aids in targetting Holiday Inn
customer so as to evaluate their desires and needs. Personal interview is one of the source for
collecting the data which require gathering the information through face to face interaction
which help in distinctly knowing the needs.
Secondary research method – Such method is associated with market research in
business to business, this method is cheap and cost effective when compared to primary
research. The agencies like non government and government provide valuable information

and data's which are required in understanding the desire of market and thereby improving
the process of decson making.
M3 Provide a coherent and justified evaluation of how different factors influence tourism
decision-making and buying behaviour, supported by specific tourism examples
There are different factors that have impact over decison making process as well as
purhcasing behaviour (Lockshin and Corsi, 2012). In toursim sector, Holiday Inn company
needs to identify different factors which can have impact over customer decision making.
This will includes social factors as customers behaviors will be based on different social
factors. Customer will tend to purchase those products and services which is recomended by
thier family and friends. Puchasing power of customer also play a cruial role in making
buying decisions.
TASK 4
P7. Different stages of tourism decision making process which are influenced by marketers.
It is very important for respective company to identify as well as analyse various
stages. These stages play a crucial role in attracting as well as influencing customers towards
organisation. There are different steps which is included in decision making process as well
as lead to attract more customers. Tourism decision making process includes various steps
that will help in performing business task in effective and efficient manner (Malone, McCabe
and Smith, 2014). Holiday Inn company needs to analyse each and every step in correct and
accurate manner in order to meet with customers requirement. Different stages of tourism
decision making process in mention below in detail.
Identifying decision – This can be consider as first step of decision making process and in
this Holiday Inn company needs to take better decision for growth of organisation. Decision
taken by respective company will help in attracting as well as influencing more customers.
Gathering information – At this stage of decision making process respective company will
needs to collect and gather more information. This will help in understanding needs and
requirement of customers as well as full filling it in correct manner.
Analysing alternatives – It is essential for organisation to identify and analyse different
alternatives in order to take better business decision. This company needs to identify pros and
cons of all alternatives.

Selecting best alternative – Once advantages as well as disadvantages of different
alternatives has been analysed this company needs to select best alternative (Moutinho and
Vargas-Sanchez, 2018). This will help influencing customers as well as enhancing
organisational performance.
Take action – After identifying as well as selecting best or most suitable alternative
respective company needs to implement action plan. This includes actual execution of plan in
order to meet with organisational requirements.
Review decision – This is considered as the last step of tourism decision making process. In
this respective company needs to review decision taken by organisation in order to achieve
desired goals and objectives.
M4 Critically evaluate how marketers influence each stage of the decision-making process,
with reference to relevant methods and models applied
There are different methods and approches that has been used by marketer. Holiday
Inn company is using correct and approprite methos of collecting information in order to
gather approprite data about customers. This includes primary as well as secoundary data
which cosist of personal interview, observation, survey and online informationa and many
more.
D2 Critically evaluate the application of appropriate theories, concepts and models that
influence and impact upon the tourism decision-making process, supported by specific
tourism examples and contexts
For influencing tourism decision making process as well as understanding customer
needs Maslow Hierachcy need thoery will be very effective. This model includes
psycological, safty, social, esteen as well as self aculization. It is very important for
respectiev company to full fill all needs and wants of customers in order to attract them
towards organisation.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it can be concluded that it is essential for organisation to
understand as well as evaluate behaviours of customers. This will help in performing business
activities in effective and efficient manner. There are different stages of consumer decision
making journey and map that will help in improve tourism services. It is significant for

company to full fill need and wants of customers. There is huge different between decision
taken by organisation in context of business to business or business to consumer. There are
different approaches which is related to market research and methods. This will be helpful in
effective decision making process.

REFERENCES
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