My Own Consumer Experiences in Terms of the Tourism - Case Study Example

1 Student name ID Number Tutor Date My Consumer Experience – Tourism Author Location 2 Table of Contents 1. Cover Page 2. Introduction 3. Literature Review - Research Background and Conceptual Framework 4. Description of the Event 5. Analysis and Discussion 6. Conclusion 3 Introduction Consumer behavior is a widely debated topic and one that is extensively researched in the field of tourism. However, due to the changes in society and the varying tastes and trends that accompany it, consumer behavior undergoes a constant change. In these contemporary days, consumerism is an intriguing topic for business entrepreneurs around the world due to the interest it generates in the disposal and consumption of goods and services. Consumer behavior is a complex subject and one that involves thought processes, experiences and buying of goods to satisfy their needs. In lieu of satisfying the customer at all costs, the Tourism and Hospitality industry have revolutionized the manner in which goods and services are disbursed and consumed, by making the industry adopt a more customer – centered approach. Since this area of study seemed quite interesting to me, I have chosen to discuss this topic in my research paper. The introduction would give the reader an overall view of the topic explaining the importance of consumer behavior in tourism today and how it impacts on the hospitality and business industry and vice versa. The topic I have chosen to discuss is about a week - long a tour to Paris with my friends. Literature Review - Research Background and Conceptual Framework In the second part of the research paper there would be a discussion on the background and conceptual framework on tourism in relation to the various models related to consumer behavior, in correlation with the places visited in Paris on our tour. The three 4 models I have chosen to discuss are: Consumption Process Issues, Stages in Consumer Decision – making Process and Consumer behavior. The consumption process issues relates to the level of interest and the relevance or importance it holds. It also includes limited knowledge and uncertainty in what is not already known. The second model called the stages in the Consumer’s Decision – making process is about the various stages through which a consumer goes through to make a particular purchase. This stage is very important because the consumer has to feel, think, reason out and make a logical decision. The third model is Consumer Behavior and this is the model I chose to discuss in detail. This model includes how factors influence the behavior of the consumer and his reactions to his purchase. Some of the influencing factors are interest, family, financial status, culture and advertising media. It is a well known fact, that Consumer behavior is influenced by factors such as socio-economic background, culture and religion, family and also purchasing power and these variables differ greatly between different cultures. Consumer behavior is a very wide area of study which is complex in terms of decision- making, and the use and disposal of goods and services. (Solomon, 1996, p. 33) defines consumer behavior as ‘a study of the processes involved when individuals or groups select, purchase, use, or dispose of products, services, ideas, or experiences to satisfy needs and desires.” In the light of what is already known in research literature, an attempt would be made to compare and contrast my touring experiences and analyze and interpret the strategies used in the area of consumerism and the hospitality industry. 5 The focus of study is on Consumer Behavior and how the decision – making process takes place in spending their resources such as money, time and effort, in the consumption of goods and services. Marketing industries make use of marketing campaigns and strategies in order to attract and satisfy the customer. (Schiffman and Kanuk, 1997, p. 446) In fact, one could say that Consumer behavior is the key foundation to any kind of marketing activity. Some of these factors that influence or impact the marketing industry are the decision- making process, availability of products and the consumer’s capacity to decide in purchasing them. According to (Vinerean Alexandra, 2013, p. 186) “The success of a marketing activity is primarily related to understanding the consumer’s decision- making process to buy or use tourism products.”In this perspective ‘segmentation’ plays a major role. According to (Middleton and Clarke, 2001, p. 188) “Segmentation is aimed to serve the need of marketers” and is so designed to include the four P’s which are – 1) Product, 2) Price, 3) Promotion and 4) Place.” Proper understanding of these key elements and a deep understanding of how to market them to the consumer to get the desired effect is what successful marketing is all about. Description of the Event This part of the paper would give a detailed description of the event which is about sightseeing the major beauty spots in Paris and the experiences and activities we had gone through during our trip to these places. Visiting Paris was like a dream come true 6 because I had always heard and read so much about it. We were a student group of five friends who decided to go to Paris for a week during the holidays. We had booked our airfares and hotel bookings online and did not have the hassle of searching for accommodation when we reached Paris. We travelled by flight and experienced good hospitality right from the beginning. The food was warm and tasty though a bit bland and both audio and video amenities were at our disposal to keep us entertained. The staff was extremely courteous and friendly and we really enjoyed the journey. Our flight arrived on time and we took a taxi from there to our hotel to refresh ourselves. We had booked into a low budget hotel named “Ibis budget Paris Porte de Vincennes” which was a wise thing to do, considering we were students and we were going to be touring the country for most part of the day. The hotel is situated very near the Porte de Vincennes and has the Bois de Vincennes and its castle just 20 minutes away by walk. We booked into a triple bedroom that comprised of three beds which we shared and it cost us 30 Euros per day which was very reasonable when compared to the prices of other hotels. The other amenities offered were air – conditioning, room – service, free Wi- fi, and public parking. The room was neatly maintained and had hot and cold water 24 hours of the day. Hospitality was a major plus point in this hotel and we were attended to immediately when we asked for extra pillows and linen. Hotel Ibis was strategically located near the 7 Metro Station Saint – Mande which was about 5 mins. from our hotel. This served as our daily mode of transport to visit most of the places in Paris we went to. The neighborhood surrounding the hotel was very neat and clean and had many bistros, cafes and restaurants which made it very convenient if we preferred not to eat at the hotel. Another convenience was the bus- station which made it so easy to commute in case we preferred to go by bus to the various sight-seeing areas around Paris. Paris had a lot to offer the tourist by way of sight-seeing attractions which made it difficult to choose, considering our limited stay. In order to make the best use of our time, we decided to take a guided tour of Paris and hence purchased a ‘Paris Pass.’ This facility made it much easier than standing in long queues to buy tickets to enter. The Paris Pass was a great advantage to us because we were allowed free entry to most of the museums and other attractions. The Pass also included free public transport and the use of sight- seeing busses which made it very easy for the consumer to commute from place to place and visit the wonderful sights of Paris and at the same time it turned out to be economical for the consumer. Touring around Paris was indeed easy because the business people took care to see that all the mechanisms to attract and hold the customer’s attention was kept in place, which involved hospitality, convenience, cleanliness and accessibility. The beauty of Paris was spectacular and awe – inspiring and one could indeed call it a dream haven for tourists. Some of the places we visited were – the iconic symbol of Paris, the “Eiffel Tower”, the magnificent “Louvre Museum”, the Musee d’Orsay which was an Art 8 Museum, the “Arc de Triomphe”, “Notre Dame de Paris”, the Sainte – Chapelle and the “Place de la Concorde” among many others. All these places were immaculately kept and had all the attractions to leave the tourist happy and satisfied. Analysis and Discussion Consumer behavior is complimentary to the factors that play a major role from the decision- making process and even after the consumption of the purchase. Our Paris experience was unique as it was enjoyable and would remain in our memories for a long time. Paris with its magnificence and beauty beckons millions of tourists each year and is considered to be one of the most successful tourist centers from a global perspective. From literature we learn that if the whole consumer process was a positive and favorable one, then most likely it would be remembered later and repeated when the opportunity arises. My friends and I had experienced this phenomenon and would definitely vouch for the same. We would definitely visit Paris again when we get the opportunity because the experience we had was wonderful. The first thing that really struck me in terms of its success was that if the consumer is provided with all the paraphernalia to attract, keep them comfortable and provide all the necessary conveniences, then they would ensure its success. But on the contrary if they are not happy and satisfied by what is offered, any business would fall through without much success. This particular aspect of packaging and marketing is what impressed me the most. 9 Research literature on one hand and our experiences on the other, enabled me to correlate and draw similarities between them. For example, market study and consumer behavior show that consumers make decisions only when they are motivated to make purchases according to their preferences, while taking into consideration their needs as well as their financial status. Research shows that the market industry is not far behind, in terms of providing motivating factors, taking consumer tastes, habits and preferences into account and providing a win – win platform for both sides. According to (Dibb,S., et al., 2001, p. 188) “Market segmentation is a form of consumer classification, used to provide support for the marketing function in a tourism organization.” A good example of this is our experience at the hotel where we stayed, the “Ibis budget Paris Porte de Vincennes” which provided a variety of segments suited to the customer’s financial status. For accommodation, it had expensive rooms as well as budget rooms for those requiring a cheaper accommodation. The food sector offered the best of food with the provision of room service, but at the same time, it allowed customers to choose to eat at restaurants and eateries that did not belong to the hotel. Commuting was also made convenient because the hotel was strategically located to provide the Metro and public transport services for easy transport instead of utilizing the hotel services which were much more expensive. So from literature of previous research and my experience, I could draw good similarities where segmentation was concerned. 10 From my experience I learned that Motivation played a major role in the decision – making process. According to (Swarbrooke and Horner, 2007, p. 190) “Motivators can be divided into – cultural (sightseeing and experiencing new cultures) physical (health and relaxation) emotional (romance and fantasy) personal (visiting relatives and friends) personal development (learning and increasing knowledge) From the motivation point of view, I could draw similarities with my touring experience, in the sense that we decided to go on this trip to relax since it was our holidays, but at the same time we learned a lot about Paris and about the people who lived there. Another motivating factor was that we were all good friends and enjoyed each others company which made my experience all the more enjoyable. Conclusion Marketing strategies and consumer behavior compliment each other but do not remain stagnant at any given time. The changing trends in society with regard to preferences and needs keep evolving and changing constantly and so do the market trends. Market researchers are well aware of the changing trends and keep carrying out research in the area to cater to the customer’s changing tastes in the best possible manner with an aim to make a success of his business. The Touring industry is a very competitive market out there, and unless it caters to the customer based on the changing tastes and trends, can it carry on to be successful. From my personal experiences and from what I learned from previous research literature, I understand that the factors influencing Consumer behavior are extremely important and I can incorporate them into any business dealing with either touring or marketing. References A Study of the Factors of Consumer Behavior. Web, accessed in September 2014 from www.epubs.surrey.ac.uk/808/1/fulltext.pdf Cheap Hotels in Paris – France Hotel Guide. Web, accessed in September 2014 from www.france-hotel-guide.com Consumer Behavior in Tourism: Concepts, Influences…Web, accessed in Sept. 2014 www.academia.edu/.../Consumer_behaviour_in_tourism_Concepts_influ. Consumer Behavior in Tourism. Web, accessed in Sept. 2014 www.books.google.com Dibb, S., Simkin, L., Pride, W.M. and Ferrell, O.C. (2001). Marketing Concepts and Strategies. 4th European edition. Houghton-Mifflin. Middleton, V.T.C and Clarke, J. (2001) Marketing for Travel and Tourism. 3rd edition, Butterworth-Heinemann Muhannad M.A Abdallat, Consumer Behavior Models and Consumer Behavior… Web, accessed in Sept. 2014 www.faculty.ksu.edu.sa/.../Consumer%20Behavior%20Models%20and%20C Schiffman J.B and Kanuk Lealie Lazar (1997) Consumer Behavior published by Prentice Hall Sixth edition .p.446 Solomon (1996) Consumer Behavior, 3rd edn. Prentice Hall Englewood Cliffs. NJ p, 33 Swarbrooke, J., Horner, S. (2007). Consumer Behaviour in Tourism –2nd Edition, Oxford: Butterworth Heinemann Vinerean Alexandra, 2013, Consumer Behavior in Tourism and the Influencing Factors of the Decision Making Process. Revista Economica. p. 186 10 Top Tourist Attractions in Paris www.touropia.com/tourist-attractions-in-paris/ Read More

The third model is Consumer Behavior and this is the model I chose to discuss in detail. This model includes how factors influence the behavior of the consumer and his reactions to his purchase. Some of the influencing factors are interest, family, financial status, culture and advertising media. It is a well known fact, that Consumer behavior is influenced by factors such as socio-economic background, culture and religion, family and also purchasing power and these variables differ greatly between different cultures.

Consumer behavior is a very wide area of study which is complex in terms of decision- making, and the use and disposal of goods and services. (Solomon, 1996, p. 33) defines consumer behavior as ‘a study of the processes involved when individuals or groups select, purchase, use, or dispose of products, services, ideas, or experiences to satisfy needs and desires.” In the light of what is already known in research literature, an attempt would be made to compare and contrast my touring experiences and analyze and interpret the strategies used in the area of consumerism and the hospitality industry.

5 The focus of study is on Consumer Behavior and how the decision – making process takes place in spending their resources such as money, time and effort, in the consumption of goods and services. Marketing industries make use of marketing campaigns and strategies in order to attract and satisfy the customer. (Schiffman and Kanuk, 1997, p. 446) In fact, one could say that Consumer behavior is the key foundation to any kind of marketing activity. Some of these factors that influence or impact the marketing industry are the decision- making process, availability of products and the consumer’s capacity to decide in purchasing them.

According to (Vinerean Alexandra, 2013, p. 186) “The success of a marketing activity is primarily related to understanding the consumer’s decision- making process to buy or use tourism products.”In this perspective ‘segmentation’ plays a major role. According to (Middleton and Clarke, 2001, p. 188) “Segmentation is aimed to serve the need of marketers” and is so designed to include the four P’s which are – 1) Product, 2) Price, 3) Promotion and 4) Place.” Proper understanding of these key elements and a deep understanding of how to market them to the consumer to get the desired effect is what successful marketing is all about.

Description of the Event This part of the paper would give a detailed description of the event which is about sightseeing the major beauty spots in Paris and the experiences and activities we had gone through during our trip to these places. Visiting Paris was like a dream come true 6 because I had always heard and read so much about it. We were a student group of five friends who decided to go to Paris for a week during the holidays. We had booked our airfares and hotel bookings online and did not have the hassle of searching for accommodation when we reached Paris.

We travelled by flight and experienced good hospitality right from the beginning. The food was warm and tasty though a bit bland and both audio and video amenities were at our disposal to keep us entertained. The staff was extremely courteous and friendly and we really enjoyed the journey. Our flight arrived on time and we took a taxi from there to our hotel to refresh ourselves. We had booked into a low budget hotel named “Ibis budget Paris Porte de Vincennes” which was a wise thing to do, considering we were students and we were going to be touring the country for most part of the day.

The hotel is situated very near the Porte de Vincennes and has the Bois de Vincennes and its castle just 20 minutes away by walk. We booked into a triple bedroom that comprised of three beds which we shared and it cost us 30 Euros per day which was very reasonable when compared to the prices of other hotels. The other amenities offered were air – conditioning, room – service, free Wi- fi, and public parking.

Read More