International Travel and Tourism Consumer Behaviour

This report analyses the impact of cultural, personal, psychological and social factors on consumer behaviour in the tourism industry. It explores the stages of consumer decision making journey and maps the path of purchasing. It evaluates different approaches of market research and methods used for understanding the decision making process.

INTERNATIONAL
TRAVEL AND
TOURISM
CONSUMER
BEHAVIOUR

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................4
TASK ..............................................................................................................................................4
P1. Investigate different cultural, personal, psychological and social factors which create
influence over consumer behaviour and attitude in context of tourism industry .......................4
P2. Exploration of reason of changes in consumer trends due to impact of digital technology 5
P3. Examination of different stage of consumer decision making journey and a map path of
purchasing for tourism industry .................................................................................................6
P4. Exploration of important for marketers to map path to purchase and understanding of
consumer decision making process in tourism sector.................................................................7
P5. Comparison and contract among difference between tourism decision making process in
context of B2B and B2C tourism example ................................................................................8
P6 Evaluate different approaches of market research and method of research used for
understanding of decision making process ................................................................................9
P7. Evaluation of ways in which marketer includes different stages of decision making
process along with tourism examples ......................................................................................10
CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
Consumer behaviour can be described as study for individual, group and organisation and their
different activities that liked with use, disposal and purchase of goods and service. Consumer
behaviour asses different ways in which emotions, preference an attitude of customers create
impact over buying behaviour of customers (Cho, Khoo and Lee, 2019). Consumer insight on the
other hand is described as understand and interpretation of data of customers, feedback into
conclusion which can be used for purpose of improving product development as well as
customer support. This project report analyse study of Hilton Hotel which is a global brands and
American hotel chain. It was introduced by Conrad Nicholson Hilton in the year 1919 in
America. It is one of largest hotel chain as there are around 184 hotel under brand name of
company and has around 216373 hotels in different countries. This project report includes
examination of different factors which create influence over consumer behaviour and attitude in
tourism sector. It demonstrate ability of map a path to purchases in tourism sector and also
includes decision making process. It evaluate appropriate forms of research in order to
understand include over tourism consumer decision making process. It evaluate ways in which
marker influence different stages of tourism consumer decision making process.
TASK
P1. Investigate different cultural, personal, psychological and social factors which create
influence over consumer behaviour and attitude in context of tourism industry
Culture factor: There are different set of ideologies and values with which people are associated
that belongs to a community (Dryglas and Lubowiecki-Vikuk, 2019). A person that belongs to a
specific community, has different behaviour which is influenced with culture of community.
There are different factors which are related to cultural factors includes culture, sub culture,
social classes.
Personal Factors: Personal factors also create impact over buying behaviour of a person. These
personal factors are different from one person to another person and also result of different
consumer behaviour and perceptions. Some of factors includes in it are age, income, occupation
life style.
Psychological Factors: Human psychology is one of determinant of behaviour of consumer.
There are different factors to be included related to psychology like motivation, attitude and

belief, perception and learning. These factors crate influence over buying behaviour of a
consumer.
Social Factors: Humans are social people which are living around group of people and create
influence over buying behaviour of a person (Gibson and O’Rawe, 2018). Human are creating
influence over decision making process of other human. In order to made any decision relation to
purchase, they consider opinions of social group. These social people includes family, reference
group, roles and status.
P2. Exploration of reason of changes in consumer trends due to impact of digital technology
Consumer trends refers to habits, behaviour of consumer which is reflect by consumer during
buying of goods and service. These trends can be results of expectation, behaviour, attitude and
opinion of consumers (Inanc–Demir and Kozak, 2019). These factors alone is not sufficient for
managers to a company for understanding trends of customers, it is also essential for manages of
Hilton hotel to develop different ways for understanding these transfer and develop a marketing
opportunity.
Digital technologies are used in hospitality business for purpose of enhancing experience of
customers and also improving operation process. Digital technologies consist different resources,
tool, systems and electronic devices which are important for purpose of string, processing and
generating different types of data. There are different examples for purpose of digital
technologies including social media, mobile phones, online games and multimedia. There is
increasing use of digital technologies in business which create impact over customer experience.
Changes in desire of consumer: Digital technology create impact desire of customers in
different ways. Use of digital technology in hospitality industry allow consumer to access to
products and service at any time. It allow managers of Hilton Hotel to order products and service
of hotel at any time.
Easy ways of accessing information: Digital technology allow to access to different
information to a person from different resources. These informatory is require by consumer for
purpose of making choice among different brands (Khan, Chelliah and Ahmed, 2019). In order
to get information, consumer are able to online as well as offline source. It allow customers to
get new information which include expectation of consumer with a products and provide variety
to consumer of Hilton Hotel. Consumer of Hilton hotel can select a brand among available
options on basis of these information.

Consumer are more connected: Increasing use of digital technology helps consumer to be
more connect with different products and service. It leads to increased expectation of consumer
and allow managers of Hilton Hotel to satisfy these needs of consumers.
Impact of using smart phones: Digital technologies are one of important tool which by
consumers that includes available information. Increasing access of information includes
knowledgable and information consumer of company (McKercher, 2018). It is results of using
smart phones to consumers as consumers can also use information provided by another consumer
for purpose of completion of work.
P3. Examination of different stage of consumer decision making journey and a map path of
purchasing for tourism industry
Consumer decision making:
Consumer decision making can be described as process in which consumers become aware of
their needs, collect various information in order to solve their problems, evaluate different
alternative options, making purchase decision and evaluate purchase process. It is important for
business managers to understand decision making process of consumer which helps to identify
opportunity of business.
Need recognition: It is initial stage of consumer decision making in which customers of Hilton
Hotel to recognise needs felt by them for a product or service.
Information Search: It is another stage in this process in which customers find out different
options in order to gather information.
Evaluation of alternatives: In this stage, customers search for different options and compare in
order to made best choice for selection of a product (Nawijn and Biran, 2019).
Purchase decision: This is the stage in which buying behaviour of customer can turn into actual
purchase as in this stage, customer is actually buying a product and service.
Post purchase decision: Customers decision making process does not end with purchase of
products and service. In this stage, Hilton hotel needs to provide additional service to customers
which allow them to increase satisfaction of customers as they will also promote service of
business by recommending it to other person.
Path to purchase:
Path to purchase can be described as process which consist different channels that can be used by
customers for converting them into actual purchase. It consist different types of channels like

apps, emails, websites, review, loyalty programme and other networks. There are different stages
to be includes in this process in context of Hilton Hotel which are mentioned below:
Awareness: It is first stage in path to purchase in which customers become aware of their needs.
Customer while purchasing a product needs to search for required information from different
source.
Engagement: During this stage, customers become aware of different brands like Hilton and
leads about their offering (Nusair, Butt and Nikhashemi, 2019). This information play important
roles as on basis of this customers made a erection about a product.
Evaluation: It is the stage in which customers become aware of different products which hare
able to provide solution to problems faced by customers.
Purchase: In this stage, business actually turn individual into actual customers as customers
select a brand and purchase it in order to satisfy their needs or solve problem faced by them.
Post Purchase: It is another stage in which customers is providing extra service to customers in
order to ensuring repurchase of same products and service.
P4. Exploration of important for marketers to map path to purchase and understanding of
consumer decision making process in tourism sector
Path to purchase refers to a customer journey across different touchpoints before making actual
purchase. It is a rand which provide understanding of how a customer move through different
types of touchpoints across different funnel. It make marketer to be able to more effective and
efficient for purpose of making decision. It is important for various reason which are as follows:
Interaction of customers with business: Customer journey map assist an organisation for
determining different ways in which business interact with customer and also make them aware
about products and understand needs (Patterson and Balderas, 2020). It provide benefit to
customers as they are able to take decision in context to purchase and allow companies for
increasing their marketing share. In context of Hilton Hotel, managers of companies are adopting
different ways for interacting with customers and increasing awareness of their products and
service.
Focus on needs of customers: Customer journey map assist companies for purpose of focusing
on needs and wants of customers. There are different methods through which business
understand and analyse needs and wants of customers like collection of customers data.

Managers of Hilton Hotel is focusing on needs of customers which allow them to identify
different touchpoints that helps them to turn actual customers for actual purchase.
Throw light on needs and pain points: customer journey map assist companies to collect
various important information about customers which helps them to understand needs, problems,
wants of customers (Pera, 2017). It also helps business to identify different pain points of
business which is important for them. Managers of Hilton Hotel is developing customer journey
map which helps hem to understand pain points of customer and also develop solution as per
their requirement.
Highlight development priorities: Customer journey map play important role in an
organisation as it helps them to understand different priorities which helps them to develop
buying process. It provide different solution to companies related to purchase and allow
managers of Hilton hotel to highlight different priorities of customers in customer journey map.
P5. Comparison and contract among difference between tourism decision making process in
context of B2B and B2C tourism example
Basis Business to Customers Business to Business
Purchase decision In B2C approach, customers are
considered as important part for
business. In this, customers analyse
and evaluate different brands and their
products and service in order to made
best choice among available
alternatives (Pestana, Parreira and
Moutinho, 2020). In this, customers
are taking less time for purpose of
making decision and also adopt
directive approach for purchase of
goods and service.
In B2B approach of business,
an organisation is selling their
products and service to
customers. It is essential for
managers of Hilton hotel to
understand and focus on
service plan for business
which allow allow hem to
emphasis on different aspect
like prices, local and
consumers.
Finding out needs It is also important for organisation to
evaluate different needs and demands
of consumers which allow them to
It is required for business
manager of Hilton Hotel to
monitor and coordinate

develop products as per requirement of
customers.
marketplace which allow them
to provide product as per
requirement of customers with
high quality.
Decision related to
market size
Managers of an organisation needs to
consider different aspects at time of
providing products and service to
customers which provide them
opportunity to increase more profit.
It is important for a company
to made different segment of
business which helps them to
fulfil needs and expectation of
consumers.
P6 Evaluate different approaches of market research and method of research used for
understanding of decision making process
Personality: Personality can be designed as individual differences in characteristics related to
pattern of thinking, behaving and feeling (Rita, Brochado and Dimova, 2019). It is study which
is focus on two main areas like understanding of individual differences in a specific personality
characteristic like irritability and sociability. Personality play important role which create impact
over behaviour of individual. Individual reflect their personality while purchasing a product and
markers needs to understand these factors in order to develop strategies as per consumer
personality that attract them for purpose of buying service of Hilton Hotel.
Self concept: Self concept refers to collect of belief which a person about themselves. It is
defined as different ways in which a person perceive their behaviour, unique characteristics and
ability. There are different components to be includes in this like personal identity, role
performance, body image, self esteem. These component are to be consider by consumer while
purchasing of products and also allow them to create a image of products and service of
company in minds of them.
Motivation: Motivation refers to a process which initiate, maintain and guide goals oriented
behaviour in an organisation. It create influence over people to work willingly in order to attain
goals of business. It is a important process in consumer decision making as it satisfy needs and
wants of consumer. It is a drive which is required for purpose of purchase of products and
service. It is also require for insight of people in order to buy a product.

Consumer learning: Consumer learning can be described as process which is essential for
purpose of gathering and interpret information related to products and service and also use
information related to knowledge of buying pattern of consumer and also consumption
behaviour.
Consumer perception: consumer perception is a marketing concept which encompasses
impression, consciousness and awareness of customers related to company and its offering. It
can be shaped by customers with advertisement, social media feedbacks, customer reviews and
promotion.
P7. Evaluation of ways in which marketer includes different stages of decision making process
along with tourism examples
Hospitality business is one which is a growing industry and also contributing to understanding
needs of customers. There are various challenges occur in business related to their final decision
in consumer decision making process (Soldatenko and Backer, 2019). Managers of Hilton hotel
are developing different products and service for purpose of satisfaction of needs of consumer. It
create influence over purchasing process of company and allow customers to take decision.
Different decision are made by consumer for purpose of making limited, routine and extensive
decision. Consumer in routine decision are less included in compare in extensive decision. There
are different stakes to be included in decision making process which is to be consider by
managers of Hilton Hotel and these stakes are mentioned below:
Need recognition: It is initial stage of consumer decision making in which consumer recognise
needs. It this they are facing problem or identify a need related to a product or service.
Information search: It is next stage in decision making process in which consumer needs to
search for various information in order to made a decision. For this, consumer is dependent on
internet, feedback and review of other customers, their relatives and known persons.
Evaluation of alternatives: It is another stage in which consumer evaluate and analyse different
alternatives in order to select one (Weigert, 2019). Customer select bone best alternatives which
suits to their requirement.
Purchase decision: In this stage, consumer is actually making a purchasing decision on basis of
different analysation made in previous stage.
Post purchase decision: It is last stage of consumer decision making in which managers of
Hilton Hotel needs to provide additional services to customers. For this managers of Hilton can

take customer feedback for improving services, can offer them additional benefit like gift from
hotel or other things.
CONCLUSION
From above mentioned project report, it can be concluded that consumer behaviour is an
important aspect which create impact over decision making process of company. It is important
for purpose of market to understand consumer behaviour which allow them to develop strategies
which attract more and more customers for companies. There are different factors which is to be
consider by business in order to made a decision like culture factors, social, psychological and
personal factors. These factors create influence over consumer behaviour as well as attitude
related to products and service of company. There are various consumer trends in market related
to digital technologies which create influence over decision making of consumer like collection
of customer data. There are different steps to be included in decision making process of company
like needs recognition, identification of information, evaluation of alternatives, purchase decision
and post purchase decision. There are two process of consumer decision making like B2B and
B2C. There are different approaches to be adopted by managers of company like motivation,
consumer perception, learning, self concept and consumer personality.

REFERENCES
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