Unit 19: Hospitality Consumer Behaviour and Insights Report

This report examines hospitality consumer behavior, focusing on the Intercontinental Group of Hotels. It explores consumer decision-making journeys, including need recognition, information search, evaluation, purchase, and post-purchase behavior, and maps paths crucial for marketers. The report differentiates between B2B and B2C decision-making processes within the hospitality sector and evaluates various market research approaches like qualitative and quantitative research, along with methods such as observations, surveys, and interviews. Finally, it assesses how marketers can influence consumer behavior across different stages, emphasizing the importance of understanding consumer learning models to drive sales and customer retention. The report provides insights into the application of these concepts to the hospitality industry, offering a comprehensive overview of consumer behavior and its implications for marketing strategies.

UNIT 19
HOSPITALITY
CONSUMER
BEHAVIOUR AND
INSIGHT
Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
LO1..................................................................................................................................................3
COVERED IN PPT................................................................................................................3
LO2..................................................................................................................................................3
P3 Stages of consumer decision making journey and map a path to purchase for given
hospitality service...................................................................................................................3
P4 Explore map a path that is important to marketers for understanding decision making in
hospitality sector.....................................................................................................................4
LO3..................................................................................................................................................5
P5 Compare and contrast key difference of hospitality decision making process in context
B2C and B2B..........................................................................................................................5
P6 Evaluate different approaches to market research and methods to understand decision
making....................................................................................................................................7
LO4 .................................................................................................................................................8
P7 Evaluate how marketers can influence different stages of hospitality decision making
process....................................................................................................................................8
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Hospitality consumer behaviour includes the study of the consumers and the tourists in
the several touristic places and leisure such as hotels, amusement parks, transportation sector
etc. In this consumer behaviour can reflects the perception and requirements of an individual
person by using demographic, behavioural, geographical factors that also helps the hospitality
industry to easily understand the customers and enhance their sales and profits. For completing
this project Intercontinental Group of hotels is the company that is the British largest hospitality
company in UK, having 5900 hotels in around 100 countries. The company was founded in 15
April, 2003. This report involves the varieties of factors that influence the hospitality consumer
behaviour and their attitudes by using cultural, social, personal and psychological factors. It also
includes the path that reflects the purchasing and decision making of consumers regarding
hospitality industry. Further it involves the various stages that influence consumers in hospitality
sector using effective methods, so that high amount of profits can be gained.
LO1
COVERED IN PPT
LO2
P3 Stages of consumer decision making journey and map a path to purchase for given hospitality
service
Consumer journey map refers to a visual map that helps the marketers to outline the
experience of customers for making long term relationship. There are various stages which
includes in the consumer decision making journey so that company easily identify the consumer
knowledge by taking the accurate decisions and also understand their feeling, judgements
regarding the products and company so that influencing their buying decision can be easy by the
Intercontinental hotels(Xiang, Magnini and Fesenmaier, 2015). The stages can be shown below:
 Need recognition- It is one of the essential stage of consumer decision making process,
this state that no purchase can be made if consumers are not recognising their needs and
desires to buy the goods. In context of Intercontinental group of hotels, they built the
brand awareness at this stage in the consumer mind so that they make the purchase and
retain with the company(Gursoy, 2019).

 Information search- It is the process of recalling the past data and stored in the system
or memory. In case of Intercontinental group of hotels, Buyers or consumers directly
connect with the company to research the products and service they delivered so that they
take the decision of purchase. Consumer can gather the information via using
advertisement, websites, SEO or the experts and professional of firm.
 Evaluation search- It is another significant step where buyer can evaluate all the brands
and products on the basis of specifications that serve the best benefits according to their
requirements. In this manager of Intercontinental group of hotels do their advertisements
with effective comparison with other industry and their offerings so that customers can
easily choose the best one out of many options and this also helps the company to
formulate the customers choice towards them.
 Purchase decision- It refers to that stage where consumer decision for buying can taken
place. This is very exciting aspect for consumer point of view as they approach to buy the
goods and fulfils their requirements. In this intercontinental group of hotels, manager can
assure that the consumer who buy the services can enjoy the high and all their
requirements are fulfilled as the best.
 Post purchase Behaviour- It is the last stage of the consumer decision making process
where consumer can thinks and acts after buying something. In this they reflects whether
they are happy or not. In context of Intercontinental group of hotels, they can review the
customers purchase either they are happy with it or not and if not then they modify their
services in future terms so that company successfully gain the profits and high customers
base for longer period of time(Mohammed, Guillet and Law, 2015).
P4 Explore map a path that is important to marketers for understanding decision making in
hospitality sector
It is very essential for the hospitality sector to effectively reach their customers and
influence them to their buying decisions. Making a customer decision making journey path helps
the hospitality sector to provide the informational about the customers wants and needs so that it
is easy for the intercontinental group of hotels to understand them and get the high returns for
long time. It involves the importance of making map a path for the Intercontinental group of
hotels that can be shown below:

 Get valuable insights- It is one of the best factor that helps the marketers of
Intercontinental group of hotels after making the map or path of buying decisions. This
helps the marketers of the IGH to easily understand the consumer experience and
motivates them to buy the services so that buyer can reaching to the last point of the
journey stage(Sipe, 2016).
 Easily understand consumer buying expectations- Developing the customer journey
map helps the marketers of Intercontinental group of hotels to easily identify the
touchpoints and channels so that consumers are likely to get the services and product
without facing issues. This helps in gaining the high customer base so that more profits
can be gained by the firm.
 Predict and influence consumer behaviour- Creating the customer journey map helps
the Intercontinental group of hotels marketers to easily predict the consumer behaviour so
that they can effectively influence the buyer towards the purchase so that firm will get
higher profits and also beat the competitors at the marketplace.
 Competitiveness of hospitality industry- In current scenario competition has to be
increased more in hospitality industry this will become a major challenge for the
company to attracts the customers and retain them for a long. In context of
Intercontinental group of hotels, for marketers it is mandatory to research the consumers
needs and what they exactly want and in this consumers buying decision stages helps the
marketer to easily understand the requirements and fulfils the needs so that they will
retail for a longer period of time(Murphy, Gretzel and Pesonen, 2019).
LO3
P5 Compare and contrast key difference of hospitality decision making process in context B2C
and B2B
B2B represents as a business to business that reflects the commercial transactions of
purchasing and selling of businessman that performed between two business firm. Whereas
Business to consumer is another factor in which goods and services are selling by the business
and purchase by end user. In context of Intercontinental group of hotels this can be differentiate
below:
Basis B2B B2C

Customer In B2B customers is another
company. For example-
Intercontinental group of
hotels can directly deals with
the other group of hotels for
expanding their
business(Samoggia and Riedel,
2018).
In this customers are the end
user. For example-
Intercontinental group of
hotels can deals with the end
user who can seek the services
for their personal use and
entertainment.
Focus Criteria Business-to-business focuses
on making relationship. As
Intercontinental group of
hotels can make the relation
with another company for
exploring and expanding their
business unit.
This Business to customers is
focuses on selling their product
to their end user. For example
Intercontinental group of
hotels sell their services to the
customers so that they enjoy
and retain with the company
for longer term.
Creation of brand value They make trust and mutual
relationship for creating the
value to the brand. In this
Intercontinental group of
hotels, can deals with other
hotel group by making trust
and understanding so that firm
will gain higher profits(Ustrov,
Valverde and Ryan, 2016).
In this Intercontinental group
of hotels make the value for
their brand by doing
advertising and promotion so
that large base of customers
get attracted towards the
company.
User type In this responder is the
profession that means
Intercontinental group of
hotels is making their user to
other company.
In this responder is the end
user that means
Intercontinental group of
hotels can offer their services
to their customers who are the

end user.
Decision making In this factor approval is come
from the multiple stakeholders.
In case if Intercontinental
group of hotels they deals with
other group of hotels so at the
time of taking decisions
involvement of other
shareholders are also involved.
In this approvals is come from
the self. As Intercontinental
can take decisions on their
own for satisfying and
entertaining the
customers(Minazzi, 2015).
P6 Evaluate different approaches to market research and methods to understand decision making
To understand the decision making of the consumers marketers of the hospitality sector
can use the various approaches to research the market so that they can retain and attracts the
customers towards their organisation. IN context of Intercontinental group of hotels marketers
can involves the several approaches for researching and understanding the decision power of
customhouse that can shown below related to B2B and B2C context:
Approaches to market research
 Qualitative research- This type of research is done by the open ended and
conversational communication within the market to the customers or consumers so that
company can get the qualitative information regarding the customer behaviour and
perceptions for buying. In this Intercontinental group of hotels can adopts the depth
interviews , case study, surveys, Questionnaires and it can be adopted to both B2B &
B2C aspects(Martin, Rosenbaum and Ham, 2015).
 Quantitative research- In this company can ask the questions from the specified
audience in an appropriate manner so that best results can be gained by the business firm.
It helps in enhancing the satisfaction level of the customers and consumers. In this
company can collect the informations from hypothetical data for completing the
analysation. In case of Intercontinental group of hotels, company can use the methods
like observations, collection and analyse data, investigations etc.
Methods to market research

 Observation- It is one of the most powerful method to research the market and
understand the buying behaviour of the consumer in the hospitality sector. In this
Intercontinental group of hotels, manager can takes the notes by observing the customers
requirements and analyse them with the usage of products that are similar to the
competitors. This methods helps in better research the market and get the high base of
customers for longer period of time(Gursoy, 2018).
 Surveys- Now a days surveys are most commonly used by the hospitality industry as it
gives the right information about the customers perspective and their needs. In context of
Intercontinental group of hotels, manager can adopts this method to research their target
market so that the individual needs can easily analysed and company can offers the
services according to it.
 Tel.-depth interviews- It represents the telephonic interview that a business can take
from their customers that are geographically spread. It is one of the best method because
it save the cost of the Intercontinental groups of hotels. In this manager can make a
telephonic interview to their existing customers so that their needs can easily analysed
and fulfilled by the firm.
LO4
P7 Evaluate how marketers can influence different stages of hospitality decision making process
It is to be evaluated that the marketers of Intercontinental group of hotels can adopts the
various aspects so that they can influence the consumers on different stages to take the decisions
of buying the goods and services and avail the company profits. Some aspects in context of
Intercontinental group of hotels can be shown below:
Approaches to consumer learning
 Behavioural model- It refers to the dynamic model that reflects what happen and what is
supposed to be happen in the present environment. It basically includes two aspects i.e.
data and events. IN case of Intercontinental group of hotels, marketers can use this
approach for influencing the consumer buying on the basis of their social class,
perception, lifestyle etc. by satisfying their needs.
 Cognitive model- It reflects the perception and mindset of the individual person in
different situation that may influence the consumer to buy the offerings of the hospitality

sector. In this company can focus on adopting the advertising strategy of marketing so
that large number of consumers can connected towards it. This advertising is developed
as per the consumer thoughts and views so that they get easily attracted towards it and
influence for buying the same(Seilov, 2015).
Role of opinion leader
It refers to the process in which an individual person can influences informally for
consumption behaviour and actions of other that are refers to the opinion seekers. In context of
Intercontinental group of hotels, manager can influence the consumer buying behaviour on the
various stages by hiring the opinion seeker in the company whose opinion are respectful by the
people and consumers. This helps in enhancing the base of customers.
Effect of marketers on decision making process:
Need recognition- It is essential to examine the needs and problems of the consumers
because it helps in influencing the sales of the company. In this marketers of Intercontinental
group of Hotels can influence the behaviour of consumers related to purchase so that
communication gap can be removed and profits can be achieved effective and efficient way.
Evaluation of alternatives- In this marketers of the Intercontinental group of hotels can
analyse the alternatives so that they can meet the customers demands. In this availability of the
secondary products can affect the buyer behaviour that negative affect sales and profits.
Information search- After evaluation of the information regarding enhancing sales and
customers buying behaviour specification can be needed to the consumers. In this
Intercontinental Group of Hotels, marketer can adopts the various sources like magazines and
newspaper so that demands of products would be enhanced. This helps in gaining high profit and
sales.
Selection and trial- It is one of the best stage of decision making process that helps the
company to retain and attracts the customers. In which consumers are trying to use the offerings
for limited period of time so that they can analyse the quality and features. At this time marketers
of the Intercontinental group of hotels can impact the buyers decisions by transferring the
information related to benefits of the goods and services by adopting presentation skills so that
they are fix to try the offerings.

Purchase decision- In this customers are looking for purchase the goods after identifying
the importance and features. At this marketers of Intercontinental group of hotels make emphasis
on buying of consumers by offering discounts.
Post-purchase behaviour- In this customers of the products can provides their reviews
to the firm regarding their experience of using the organisations products and services so that
they can modify it. In this marketers of Intercontinental group of Hotels can evaluates the
satisfaction level of customers by getting feedback so that problems can be solved and
improvement can be done.
CONCLUSION
From the above information on hospitality consumer behaviour and insights it is to be
calculated that it is very essential to study the behaviour of the consumers according to their
perception, behaviour, culture. In this digitalisation plays an essential role in influencing the
trends by using social media, mobile phones etc. This report also inculcates the decisions of the
buyers on the purchase of the products and services in the hospitality industry. This methods are
effective to analyse the decision making on several stages of the B2C and B2B by using survey
and questionnaires for mapping and interpretation so that decisions and viewpoints can be easily
understand by the companies of the consumers.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Gursoy, D., 2018. Future of hospitality marketing and management research. Tourism
Management Perspectives. 25. pp.185-188.
Gursoy, D., 2019. A critical review of determinants of information search behavior and
utilization of online reviews in decision making process (invited paper for ‘luminaries’
special issue of International Journal of Hospitality Management). International Journal of
Hospitality Management. 76. pp.53-60.
Martin, D., Rosenbaum, M. and Ham, S., 2015. Marketing tourism and hospitality products
worldwide: Introduction to the special issue.
Minazzi, R., 2015. Social media marketing in tourism and hospitality.
Mohammed, I., Guillet, B.D. and Law, R., 2015. The contributions of economics to hospitality
literature: A content analysis of hospitality and tourism journals. International Journal of
Hospitality Management. 44. pp.99-110.
Murphy, J., Gretzel, U. and Pesonen, J., 2019. Marketing robot services in hospitality and
tourism: the role of anthropomorphism. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing. 36(7).
pp.784-795.
Samoggia, A. and Riedel, B., 2018. Coffee consumption and purchasing behavior review:
Insights for further research. Appetite. 129. pp.70-81.
Seilov, G.A., 2015. Does the adoption of customer and competitor orientations make small
hospitality businesses more entrepreneurial?. International Journal of Contemporary
Hospitality Management.
Sipe, L.J., 2016. How do senior managers influence experience innovation? Insights from a
hospitality marketplace. International Journal of Hospitality Management. 54. pp.75-83.
Ustrov, Y., Valverde, M. and Ryan, G., 2016. Insights into emotional contagion and its effects at
the hotel front desk. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.
Xiang, Z., Magnini, V.P. and Fesenmaier, D.R., 2015. Information technology and consumer
behavior in travel and tourism: Insights from travel planning using the internet. Journal of
retailing and consumer services. 22. pp.244-249.