Chapter 1Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Pearson [imprint]
It’s Tourism: Concepts and Practices John Walker
Tourism Research
Chapter 7
Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Pearson [imprint]
Objectives
After reading and studying this chapter, you should be able to:
Know why tourism research is necessary
Realize the importance of research goals
Explain the types of research
Describe the research process
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Imagine you want to open a resort
You must consider:
Is the location seasonal?
Will the resort have a theme or concept?
Who will potential guests be?
Who will be your competition?
Where are they located?
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Tourism research:
Aids tourism entities in the journey to finding the answers to these questions
As well as the many other questions that are sure to arise
Introduction (cont’d.)
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World Tourism Organization:
Reports that tourism has become a major source of foreign exchange
International tourism has grown rapidly in recent decades
Ranks second only to oil in world trade
Why is Research Necessary?
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Tourism research provides information
Facilitates the decision-making process
Several conferences
Many organizations
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General goals for businesses:
Aids in creating additional sources of possible profits
Uncovers preexisting sources that are not profitable
Research Goals
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Examines performance of certain areas in an operation
Monitors guest satisfaction
Research Goals (cont’d.)
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For consumers:
Rating systems are used as a guide
American Automobile Association (AAA) five diamond rating system
Research Goals (cont’d.)
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Descriptive research (i.e., statistical research)
Aims to answer who, what, where, when, and why?
Used to describe characteristics
Does not aim to uncover causation
Does not influence variables
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Analytical research (i.e., explanatory research)
Seeks to uncover causation
Hypothesis may be derived
Not generalizable
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Predictive research
Based on past behaviors, attitudes, demographics, and generalized phenomena
Categories (cont’d.)
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Normative research (i.e., applied research)
Aims to uncover facts
Less concrete
Categories (cont’d.)
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Qualitative research
Much tourism research lends itself to qualitative techniques
Types of Research
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Quantitative research
Statistical analysis
Researcher gathers data and evaluates them to locate trends or correlations
Begins with null hypothesis (supposes no patterns exist)
Using situational analysis, the researcher may uncover possible relationships
Types of Research (cont’d.)
It’s Tourism: Concepts and Practices John Walker
Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Pearson [imprint]
Survey method
Gathers information about human populations by asking questions of respondents
Representative sample should reflect the characteristics of the population
Types of Research (cont’d.)
It’s Tourism: Concepts and Practices John Walker
Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Pearson [imprint]
Survey types
Opinion surveys
Interpretative surveys
Ask respondents to answer why they chose a particular course
Factual surveys
Concrete questions
It’s Tourism: Concepts and Practices John Walker
Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Pearson [imprint]
Survey administration
Mail surveys
Low response rate and assumes literacy level
Electronic devices
Transmitted via e-mail messages, websites, distributed on public computers, etc.
Fast, low in cost, and provides anonymity
Difficult to obtain a representative sample
Types of Research (cont’d.)
It’s Tourism: Concepts and Practices John Walker
Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Pearson [imprint]
Interview types:
Structured interviews
Least flexible
Often use codes for responses
Restricts questions and responses
Types of Research (cont’d.)
It’s Tourism: Concepts and Practices John Walker
Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Pearson [imprint]
Semistructured interviews
Ensures topics are covered
Unstructured interviews
It’s Tourism: Concepts and Practices John Walker
Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Pearson [imprint]
Types of Research (cont’d.)
Telephone surveys
Answers are recorded into a computer database
Fast to conduct and less costly
Type and number of respondents are limited
Respondents may skew answers
Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Pearson [imprint]
Types of Research (cont’d.)
Focus groups
Prescreening ensures relevancy to the target market
Focused questions are asked about the topic
Qualitative; purpose is to develop a broad and deep understanding
Usually takes between one to two hours
Often used to provide a basis for further research and/or to uncover traveler motivations
It’s Tourism: Concepts and Practices John Walker
Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Pearson [imprint]
Types of Research (cont’d.)
Experimental method
Examines cause-and-effect relationships under controlled conditions
Involves setting up a test, or experiment, to simulate what happens in the real world
Two variables:
It’s Tourism: Concepts and Practices John Walker
Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Pearson [imprint]
Types of Research (cont’d.)
Experimental method limitations
All variables not of interest must be eliminated
Confounding or extraneous variables
Can influence variables of interest
For this reason, rarely used in tourism research
It’s Tourism: Concepts and Practices John Walker
Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Pearson [imprint]
Types of Research (cont’d.)
Observational method (i.e., naturalistic observation)
Examining constructs of interest in real-world conditions
Researcher observes and acts like a shadow
Must be careful not to interfere with variables
Variables interfered with are reactive (no longer valid)
It’s Tourism: Concepts and Practices John Walker
Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Pearson [imprint]
Types of Research (cont’d.)
Observational method is more objective and accurate
Eliminates bias and allows observation of spontaneous behaviors
Limitations:
Can be costly
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Primary steps:
Problem identification
Demand and background information is analyzed
Informal investigation
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Research design
Identification of variables, to be obtained, and procedures that will be carried
Primary data: original data collected by and for the research design at hand
Secondary data: previously collected data that may be of interest
Data collection
Research Process (cont’d.)
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Research findings
Includes relevant background information, research methodology, detailed analysis of findings, recommendations, and copies of forms used
Some use tables and/or diagrams
Abstract may be included at the beginning (summary of objectives, findings, and recommendations)
Research Process (cont’d.)
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Before starting to design a questionnaire:
Researcher must clearly define and clarify research goals
Length, complexity, and question sensitivity must be weighed
Designing Questionnaires
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Selecting the answer format:
Ordinal: rank
Questionnaires (cont’d.)
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Travel and Tourism Research Association (TTRA)
Provides sources of information
Conducts research on various aspects of tourism
Recommendations
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Tourism Industries, U.S. Department of Commerce Office of Travel and Tourism Industries (OTTI)
Collects, analyzes, and disseminates international travel and tourism statistics
U.S. Travel Data Center (USTDC)
Research division of the Travel Industry Association (TIA)
Recommendations (cont’d.)
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Tourism research
Assists in identification of market trends
Helps unveil economic impact of tourism, occupancy trends, and consumer behavior
Conclusion
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Market research
Aids in creating additional sources of possible profits
Uncovers preexisting sources that are not profitable
Conclusion (cont’d.)
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For the consumer:
Tourism research is dependent on:
Clearly defined research goals
A thorough demand analysis
A well-developed research design
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Tourism will continue to be a fast growing sector in research
Research will focus on:
Increased demand for destinations that protect authenticity and geographic character
Baby boomers, Generation X and Y
Economy and consumer confidence fluctuations
Trends