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PublicationSelf-congruity theory : To what extent does it hold in tourism?(Sage Publishing, 2011-07-12)This paper investigates: (1) if, and to what extent, self-congruity theory is applicable in tourism, (2) to what extent travel and person characteristics explain the degree of self-congruity, and (3) how the operationalization of self-congruity affects the conclusions about whether self-congruity holds in tourism. Results derived from a large-scale study of Swiss travellers indicate that conclusions depend heavily on how self-congruity is measured. Using a relatively strict measure, more than half the trips under study can be classified as self-congruent. However, travel and socio-demographic characteristics are very limited in their ability to explain when self-congruity occurs.Type:Journal:Volume:Issue:
Scopus© Citations 77 -
PublicationHealth travel motivation and activities: insights fomr a mature market - Switzerland(Emerald, 2011-04-01)This exploratory study investigates predictors (stated motivation and reported leisure activities) of health travel as opposed to a control group incorporating all other travel of the Swiss resident population, a well matured market. An a-priori segmentation of more than 11,000 trip cases (health travel as opposed to non health travel) was chosen as means of methodological con-cept, and stepwise logistic regression of 25 types of motivations and 72 types of activities to-wards group membership served as means of analysis. There appears to be a mature perception of health travel in the developed Swiss market, comprising rewarding elements of beauty, indulgence, and regeneration combined with demanding elements such as (challenging and stimulating) sports, including mountain biking, hiking, and golf. The paper enhances the still slim body of knowledge on health travel.Type:Journal:Volume:Issue:
Scopus© Citations 26 -
PublicationShort-haul city travel is truly environmentally sustainable(Elsevier Science, 2010-08-01)With rising interest in and concern about climate change and environmental sustainability, and the significance of the tourism industry worldwide, the impact of tourism-related activities and behaviors on the environment has become a key area of research. In particular, transport related to tourism has come under scrutiny for its contribution to the ecological footprint of tourism of a destination, mostly accounted for by the dominance of air travel. This study contributes to research in this area by identifying the types of travel situations in which tourists make environmentally friendly choices about travel modes and, consequently, which types of tourism destinations should seek to develop and promote in order to minimize the environmental impact of the tourist sector on both an individual destination and global scale.Type:Journal:Volume:Issue:
Scopus© Citations 36 -
PublicationSolo travel: Explorative insights from a mature market (Switzerland)This study examines solo travel, and offers (1) a conceptual framework of solo travelers, (2) a profile of these types of travelers (by socio-demographic characteristics), and (3) a profile of travels (by specific descriptors). The data for this study stem from a comprehensive survey of Swiss travel behavior conducted 2004 by the University of St. Gallen (Switzerland). The conceptual model is derived from transportation research. It proposes an a priori segmentation of four types of solo travel, delineated on the combination of the (1) departure status (a single, one-person household, compared to a collective, multi-persons household) and (2) arrival status (solo travel, compared to group travel), thus creating a two-by-two matrix with four segments overall. Solo travelers basically either tend to foster an existing social network or try to nurse their curiosity and at the same time look for new social contacts. The results of the profiling further reveal significant differences between the solo travel groups, as well as towards a control group incorporating all other travel. They include income, profession, and age, as well as familiarity with the destination, choice of type of accommodation, expenditures and various types of trips. However, no significant differences can be reported with regard to the choice of destination.
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PublicationIdentifying casino patrons from the tourism market(La Trobe University, 2012-02-07)In order to provide market insight into diversification of casino visitors, this study intends to identify the travel pattern, travel motivation and demographic characteristics of tourists who include casinos in their travel itinerary, and to what extent, these variables affect their decision of visiting casinos during their vacation. Study subject and data base is the Swiss travel market, a notably mature market in terms of buying environment, buying power as well as sophistication of consumers. The results of the analysis reveal a number of significant differences between tourist gamblers and the 'average' travellers, including a number of socio-demographics, choice of destination, type of accommodation, travel motivation, travel information sources. No differences were identified with regard to gender and size of household.
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PublicationPredicting Online Travel Purchases : The Case of Switzerland(travel & tourism research association, 2011-06-19)This paper examines why and under what conditions prospective travelers complete their bookings through online services compared to other methods. The study is based on a repre-sentative survey within 1,898 Swiss households, recording their travel behavior during the entire year 2007. The results show that the likelihood of booking online increases if someone is drawn to a website to gather information in the first place, and if the product sold through the website is transparent and well-understood (either per se or because the customer is familiar with the product), or if any other booking-related communication would impose a financial charge, independent of the socio-demographic background of the prospective traveler.
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PublicationTell Me Who You Think You Are and I Tell You How You Travel : Exploring the Viability of Market Segmentation by Means of Travelers' Stated Personality( 2011-05-24)People travel to different destinations for different reasons. In this study, we investigate the viability of market segmentation by personal traits (based on and exemplified by Jungian MBTI variables) of travellers from Switzerland. We performed a data-driven a-posteriori segmentation by means of k-means clustering. To identify the segmentation power of personal traits, this analysis was complemented with a multiple discriminant analysis as well as a number of contingency tests to identify differences between the segments. We identified four clearly delimitable segments. They not only differ in terms of the psychographic traits of the segment members but also in terms of their socio-demographic characteristics as well as travel profiles. Despite a growing body of work on classical market segmentation, there is still a limited number of works on potentialities of psychographic approaches relating to a traveller's traits and/ or personality as a segmentation basis in tourism.
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PublicationHealth travel motivations and activities : The Swiss case(Travel & Tourism Research Association, 2008-06-17)
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PublicationSegmenting the senior travel market by means of travel motivation - Isnights from a mature market (Switzerland)(Griffith University, 2008-02-13)The paper reports on the segmentation of Swiss senior travellers on the basis of their travel motivation. Switzerland is considered a mature market which is why this country serves as a role model for future travel behaviour. In contrast to previous studies, which identified up to six clusters, the results reveal that in the case analysed there are three clusters. Two of them partially represent a life cycle concept: TIME HONOURED BON VIVANTS (phase 1; towards the end of a professional life), and GRIZZLED EXPLORERS (phase 2; from the start of a retired life). These two segments are complemented by RETRO TRAVELLERS, which incor-porate many characteristics of the previous two but differentiate themselves in terms of educa-tion as well professional positions.
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