Voluntary Tourism Motivation Factors - Assignment Example

Speciessaver Volunteer Tourism Marketing Report Insert Insert Grade Insert Table of Content I. Executive Summary.....................................................................................................................3 II. Introduction.................................................................................................................................4 III. Literature Review......................................................................................................................4 Definition.............................................................................................................................5 Theories...............................................................................................................................5 Groups to target...................................................................................................................7 IV. STP plan....................................................................................................................................9 Demographic Characteristics.............................................................................................10 Psychographic factors........................................................................................................10 Geographical Segmentation...............................................................................................11 Behavioural Characteristics...............................................................................................11 Market Targeting...............................................................................................................11 Positioning plan.................................................................................................................12 Voluntary Tourism Motivation factors..............................................................................12 Personal Motivation Factors..................................................................................12 Interpersonal Reasons............................................................................................14 V. Conclusion................................................................................................................................14 VI. Bibliography............................................................................................................................16 I. Executive Summary Volunteer tourism besides involving trips and voluntary work is increasingly gaining popularity. Many researches that have been conducted deduce that voluntary work associated with tourism contributes immensely to socio-economic benefits and facilitate the development for participants. For this view to be successful and development targets achieved, it requires intense and vigilant management because of changing trends in the global market so as to understand cultural diversities and promote new insights. Particularly, the management criteria should be one that can identify different needs of individuals and come up with strategies of satisfying those different requirements. Of course, the procedure will entail doing research and continuously improving product features that the firm offers. Motivations of this subject are varied with results such as experiencing new things, having fun and skill development among others. This paper seeks this impression of change further as it examine and explore the impact that volunteer tourism organizations play, Speciessaver in particular, for the advancement of humanities and understanding. The paper is developed for Australian intended tourism terminus in Truong Son, in Vietnam. As will be stated in the body of the paper, application methods are researched on and availed at the convenience of willing participants. II. Introduction Tourism is mobile vocational trip that one goes for to enjoy leisure or for business purpose. Increasing personal earnings and arising awareness due to the emergence of technology are just a few factors to mention that have contributed to tourism. Currently, the rate at which financial independence is contracting has promoted the lookout for volunteers in a variety of endeavours (Li-Ju & Joseph 2010). Lyons and Wearing (2008) suggested that the volunteer tourists be those individuals who are driven by internal desire to contribute towards the development and to gain more insight on things through learning new skills. Such persons are dedicated to a reduction of poverty and for the betterment of environmental conditions as well as saving the animal species (Lyons & Wearing 2008). Many companies have since gained insight in advancing the same through linking and facilitating these groups. Management of these groups is essential for efficient delivery of services they would volunteer to provide. This paper probes the classification of these potential volunteers in view of their basic and immediate perception of offering voluntary work in collaboration of attaining their deep, demanding desires. The methodology involved for this study uses volunteer segmentation, targeting them and laying positioning criteria to best select the best group in furthering the concern by Speciessaver, a newly formed volunteer recruiting agency firm in Australia. III. Literature Review This literature review introduces the trend of volunteer tourism in Australia, in a number of theoretical scaffolds to examine available information concerning the topic. Volunteer tourism is a new area in academia, which is highly multifaceted. The study will start by providing a general definition of the topic followed by theories of travel motivation. Further understanding of attractive segments and segmentation targeting and positioning strategy is discussed in view of identifying more salient development of social learning mechanisms (Clarke 2009). Definition Volunteer tourism is one of the ensuing areas in tourism studies with no clear definition that is accepted by all scholars in different endeavours. However, some scholars have since defined it as a voluntary mechanism by which tourists participate voluntarily in alleviating poverty to some bereaved areas or doing research on some aspects of life for whatever reason they may deem right (Barbieri, Santos, & Katsube 2012). It is seen to provide benefits in a reciprocal manner to both the hosts and the volunteers leading to the concept of sustainable tourism and development. Increasing number of volunteer tourism programs that offer a variety of options to volunteers contributes to the increasing interest of people to join the programs. Interaction between volunteers and hosts, for instance, leads to improved understanding between them that may help in mitigating racial and social boundaries. Research recommendations may help in coming with the best methods of preserving the endangered species in central Vietnam by system of feasibility study (Clarke 2009). Besides, interaction creates social dialogue that can help in reducing conflicts. Indeed, it promotes international peace and citizenship that facilitates economic prosperity beyond borders (Lyons & Wearing 2008). In getting further details of the study, it is important we consider some theoretical aspects that relate and support the idea of volunteer tourism. Theories In order to come out with a clear outline of tourism impact in Truong Son, in collaboration with Speciessaver, an Australian recruiting tourism agency, an understanding of a variety of theories and viewpoint are important. First, the structural theory of Anthony Giddens stipulates that structured approaches valued existing values and resources in the society and not Poel’s previous actor major on desires and intentions of individual (Raymond 2008). A more integrated approach is relevant since both actor and context conditions are important in providing insights if used together because freedom of action as well as personal choice for social effort is taken from the structure of the practice. Both sides of actor and structure are relevant for the survival of the practice despite their disparities. The practice that this study majors on is voluntary work in Annamite Mountain Range in Central Vietnam concerning serving the endangered species of reptiles, mammals, and birds. In this case, volunteer tourism is a holiday practice in which individuals play a part in unpaid ventures. Each endeavour to this respect could differ, but, some joint features are specific for most voluntary works performed voluntarily. Voluntary work in Annamite Mountain Range would entail interactions among local employees and volunteers, contacts the volunteers make with these species and the level of precaution that they take. Leisure factor for this example is found on the experience that tourists go through in the process of volunteering. Volunteer tourism can lead to increased understanding between volunteers and people at the hosting communities. Besides, most volunteer destinations are poor with few tourism destinations that can cause economic impact in the society. Therefore, volunteering can be resourceful by provision of financial aid through increased tourism employment and employment based on project related activities (Guttentag 2009). This financial aspect contributes to economic growth and many constituents of such areas may learn the business start-up ideas from tourists. Maintenance of these animal species in the range may require tourists to spend money, supply goods and materials for animal use. This has a positive impact on health of animals that can further be tourist attraction reason hence raising wages for individuals who work in the range. Based on available cases, the market can be segmented based on the purpose for which these firms were formed. Both for and not for profit organisations are considered in the study with some having been incorporated within Australia. Representatives from all above firms should be interviewed as the research is carried out together with target clients so as to come up with a variety of opinions and experiences. Programmes that are offered in the market also vary in terms of services that they provide and so all these factors can help in doing segmentation. Groups to target Behaviourists presume that behaviour driven by psychological needs drive actions that individuals take. As Maslow’s theory of motivation stipulate, once one level is satisfied, more demand for the upper level will rise and the same principle is used in explaining behaviour, in tourism. However, McCool & Moisey (2001) argued that tourists major on lower level needs unlike volunteer tourists who major on development and fulfilment (McCool & Moisey 2001). Research conducted by a number of psychologists support the view that volunteer travel experience can provide clear personal understanding more so to young adults based on their common needs. For instance, it is at this age that there is an unending desire of looking for life partner and being able to handle things without enforcement from others. Living one’s family so as to start a new life may give individuals time for self-reflection and target setting to be achieved in life (Wearing, McDonald, & Ponting 2005). Youths also like leisure and spending finance on things that they consider fun. Some of them will take year gaps between studying and working in order to travel and get new culture experience. Most of the youths may also seek volunteer opportunities so that they prepare for the job markets and improve their ability to get employed or recruited. Another motivating factor is the desire to help and give support to others by volunteers coming from traditional backgrounds. However, there is a positive correlation to involvement of baby boomers (old age) to such projects too. There is increased desire to gain new skills and knowledge because of the motivation effect to older as well as to youth volunteers. Research findings show that there is a high susceptibility to volunteering by the old age as compared to the young age because the older age perceive more positive motivation factors in analogy with the youths (M&P & Ltd 2012). Based on the varied differences in features of needs of these groups, it is important for Speciessaver to come up with techniques and tactics that can incorporate all these groups equally. The firm should understand specific requirements of these niches and provide services that can best meet their demands. Other groups such as people with disability and student community may also need to be considered and the firm should be in a position of doing detailed market analysis so as to come up with best grouping criteria for the continuity of the firm and its intended objectives. Positioning Positioning would involve developing an online blog from which all participants are allowed to make comments on findings and efforts to introduce new services. This would encourage dialogue from variety of participants which would be useful in making choice of decision to make. The sending organizations can encourage its participants to come up with reflection techniques such as carrying journals and showing them how to frame reflections about their experience with the host country (Raymond, 2008). The firm should create social association in which volunteers and hosts participate together such as organizing cultural performances such as singing. IV. STP plan The ultimate outcome of segmenting, targeting, and positioning (STP) is marketing strategy that a firm can use to grow. Primarily, this involves identifying and choosing segments where possible and actual consumers of particular products are. Giving more focus on STP, segmentation of the market involves dividing the entire market based on common demands into clusters and choosing a few to focus efforts of the firm. Each segment so be selected will have a different response to the marketing mix and with different opportunities. STP plan requires those who intend to develop it to study intensely the needs of probable users. Based on the report, the users will be management that will impact the market and gain competitive advantage so that they recruiting more tourism volunteers. It is important that individual’s preferred information as well as segment graphic information be included in the study (Natter, Mild, Wagner, & Taudes 2006). This is a procedure in which potential customers are located to different groups depending on classified features of individuals. There are different methods through which Speciessaver may reach the customers. For instance, the firm may adopt current technological techniques to reach target customers and to gather information about their needs. The management of Speciessaver agency can track the customers’ style and frequency of using the internet and segment them into clusters that the firm considers to differentiate them from others. The basis on this line should be the most interesting thing this group likes doing and how they frequently use the products and services that suit their needs based on what they discuss on the blogs (Market Segmentation 2009). The firm can incorporate manual system to gather information through personal experience and going to places where these particular target markets always converge. The following are the most commonly used criteria in segmenting:- Demographic Characteristics Speciessaver can use demographic features such as age, gender, education, and income just to mention a few in choosing a segment. Choosing target market based on age maybe very tricky, but the firm should be able to widen the age group by engaging manifold generations so as to retain the business market share and even increase it. Just like many companies in different economic sectors do, Speciessaver can use low cost market targeting strategy by involving more baby boomers and any other potential group that will be willing to volunteer to save the animal species and the range. Income of the group is also an important element to consider based on the knowledge of the customers to use their own income in buying any essentials that may be required urgently while in the range saving the animal species (Raymond & Hall 2008). Psychographic factors Secondly, the firm can also use psychographic factors, which include volunteers lifestyle based on personalities and attitudes of those who are willing to contribute to the society of choice. The information can be gathered through extensive surveys from which people are asked about their interests, values and opinions just but to mention a few. Lifestyle of these groups may depend on the social status that someone or a family is in and the ability to afford frequent travel (Natter, Mild, Wagner, & Taudes 2006). The buying ability may also regulate personal interests based on psychic needs. The firm should recruit more volunteers who are able to cater for their own expenses including training and contingency expenses so as to reduce on the cost that Speciessaver agency may incur as it tries to provide the service. Geographical Segmentation For the Vietnam immediate community to feel the importance of Australian contribution, Speciessaver can also involve the indigenous community based on those who will be willing to contribute voluntarily be it from the government employees or individual business persons on vacation (Wearing, McDonald, & Ponting 2005). This takes the form of geographical segmentation, which also depends on the size of the Vietnam community to which the life of the animals to be saved direct result. The agency may come up with methods of classifying potential customers based on their location and proximity to the service centre. This takes the form of region or area where the customers are. The agency should determine their number and if it is reasonable beyond reason, provide the training and other services that the agency deems fit to the niche so as to convince them and win their attitude positively to combining travel with voluntary work. Behavioural Characteristics Lastly, the firm may decide to segment based on customer behaviour. This segmentation process divides people into groups or clusters depending on the behavioural characteristics towards the product (s) that the firm offers. Analyze the products’ usage rate, how frequently does this particular group travel for vacation and how willing are they to contribute their efforts voluntarily for the benefit of others and their environs (Market Segmentation 2009). Customer who has the potential of travelling frequently is given their own cluster different from those who travel less frequently and by offering incentives to encourage travel in collaboration to work for those who rarely travel. These decisions will be influenced by factors motivating customers such as the desire to acquire new skills, to learn and appreciate other cultures and others. Market Targeting Market targeting, on the other hand, involves selecting a particular group (s) or cluster that you think can best offer the products that you have based on their requirements and willingness to volunteer. This is a difficult decision that Speciessaver will have to make while putting caution otherwise a slight mistake may lead to serious consequence. Speciessaver can use concentrated targeting process in choosing the target group by focusing on a particular market niche instead of all potential groups and concentrating efforts of the firm to that particular niche (Market Segmentation 2009). By this process, small firms like Speciessaver can be able to identify particular requirements of that market and be able to compete with large firms that already have an ongoing market share of customers. Secondly, Speciessaver may choose to use multi-segment targeting design by focusing the efforts in developing different strategies to two or more market niches that the firm feels are essential to obtaining the objectives of the firm. However, this technique can be very costly and the management of Speciessaver should do cost-benefit analysis to determine possible positive outcome in relation to the costs that the firm may be able to incur in trying to incorporate the volunteers in the project. Positioning plan Positioning is required for any firm that is determined to achieving its objectives. It involves making an establishment’s offering and reputation occupy competitive locus in the market so that a particular niche in the market is committed to products that are offered by the firm. Speciessaver can do this by creating typical image in the eyes of its potential volunteers about a given destination (Chandra & Menezes 2001). The firm can do this by improving the volunteers’ understanding about the importance of caring for the animals and potential beneficial end results should they wish to join the initiative. Speciessaver can positively impact the perception on possible group of volunteers by carrying out strategic promotional activities to convince them and retain their loyalty and by clearly stipulating the marketing mix that the firm can use. This can only be done by understanding clearly incentives that other similar firms offer to their customers and by producing much better incentives to gain distinctive competence (Li-Ju & Joseph 2010). Identify variety of ways the project will benefit the volunteers and the immediate society to which they intend to impact and ways of delivering such benefits. Voluntary Tourism Motivation factors The changing tourism market is availing new development patterns leading to a gradual decline of tourism dominated with leisure and relaxation. The market is placing more emphasis on environmental development through voluntary work and its social framework. More emphasis is directed to knowledge acquiring and new experiences, as opposed to the more prevalent entertainments associated with it. People working for social worth develop empathy that is more important to them with respect to the personal encounter with communities that they consider necessary. This helps to raise mindfulness and instil respect for the communities and their environs. Tourism is essential for economic growth since it inculcates continuous flow of people from one place to another that encourage investments for social sustainability. i. Personal Motivation Factors These factors are decided for at individual level. Volunteers may want to get authentic involvement especially when they intend to travel for the first time for self-experience opportunity. Besides, another interest that may contribute to travel is perception of the volunteers. If they perceive the trip to be unique, different and having some freedom associated with it as compared to another platform they have experienced before, they may give more consideration to this other better one (Li-Ju & Joseph 2010). ii. Interpersonal Reasons Some volunteers could express desire to help eradicate poverty through promotion of environmental sustenance techniques and to preserve the culture of the bereaved communities. Some volunteers based on their previous experience with the endangered animals may willingly decide to contribute their time to preserving the animals in the best ways possible they can so as to maintain such cultures. Intuition and desire to interact with new people having different backgrounds and cultures could also motivate one to joining the travel group. Moreover, some may get convinced by others about the value and quality of the trip which may lead them into joining the travel group. Some family members may join the groups so as to further relationships they have with one another by doing something they consider unique and different. V. Conclusion Volunteer tourism is indeed a multifaceted subject that still attracts discussions and research aboveboard. Findings and recommendations for improvements are standard applications in the processes of these intended projects. Even as the study narrows down to volunteer segmentation, targeting, and positioning target population niche, similarities within these groups still exist. Expectations are on the rise from not only the family and community members from which these volunteers come from but also from the communities to which these tourists intend to impact by service provision. Incorporating new strategies by a new agency firm like Speciessaver may be tricky since it would incorporate training of staff and marketing the firm so that it gets the recognition in the business. All processes that the firm will go through will consume resources and will have cost implications. For instance, there will be training and orientation before the travel, evaluations and follow-ups. It may become more intricate when dealing with groups depending on its size. These are some factors that the agency should consider while they position and reposition in the market. Training will be even more necessary for inconsistent volunteers. All these require responsive management that is truly dedicated to delivering positive results for the advancement of humanity and poverty. VI. Bibliography Barbieri, C., Santos, C & Katsube, Y2012, ‘Volunteer Tourism: On-the- ground observations from Rwanda,’ Tourism Management, 33: 509-516. Chandra, S., &Menezes, D 2001, ‘Application of Multivariate Analysis in International Tourism Research: The Marketing Strategy Perspective of NTOs,’ Journal of Economic and Social Research, 3(1): 77-98. Clarke, A 2009, ‘Journeys of Discovery in Volunteer Tourism,’ Annals of Tourism Research, 36 (1): 159-160. Guttentag, D 2009, ‘The Possible Negative Impacts of Volunteer Tourism,’ International Journal of Tourism, 11 (6): 537-551. Li-Ju, C & Joseph, S 2010, ‘The motivations and expectations of international volunteer tourists: A case study of Chinese Village Traditions,’ Tourism Management, 32 (2011), 435-442. Lyons, K & Wearing, S 2008, ‘Volunteer tourism as alternative tourism: Journeys beyond otherness. In K. D. Lyons, & S. Wearing (Eds.),’ Journeys of discovery in volunteer tourism (pp.3-11), CABI Publishing, Oxfordshire. Market Segmentation 2009, The Market Segmentation Company, viewed 25 April 2014, M&P, H & Ltd, A 2012, ‘Contemporary practices and research in volunteering: A literature review,’ 2012 Volunteering Report. McCool, S & Moisey, R 2001, ‘Tourism, Recreation and Sustainability.’ Linking Culture and Environment. CAB International, Wallingford, UK. Natter, M., Mild, A., Wagner, U., & Taudes, A 2006, Planning new tariffs at tele.ring-the application and impact of an integrated segmentation, targeting and positioning tool, viewed 25 April 2014, Raymond, E 2008, ‘Make a Difference!’: The Role of Sending Organizations in Volunteer Tourism. In K. Lyon and S. Wearing (eds.),’ Journeys of Discovery in Volunteer Tourism (pp.48-60), CABI Publishing, Cambridge. Raymond, E & Hall, M 2008, ‘The Development of Cross-Cultural (Mis)understanding through Volunteer Tourism,’ Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 16 (5): 530-43. Wearing, S., McDonald, M & Ponting, J 2005, ‘Building a decommodified research paradigm in tourism: the contribution of NGOs,’ Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 13(5): 424-439. Read More