Introduction to Travel and Tour Management

Chapter 5: Markets and Destinations

MARKET – is the prospective travel consumer of a travel component or a tour package, at the point of
origin, while the destination is the place to be visited or to be experienced within a geographical area of
operation. An integral part of understanding a travel market and its segments is being aware of why
people travel – what motivates or de-motivates them.

Leisure Travel Motivators

1. Physical Motivators – related to health, wellness and the physical enjoyment. These include
physical rest, recreation and relaxation, and participation in a variety of light sports activities,
the common feature being release from the routine and the reduction of tension through
physical activities.

2. Cultural Motivators – related to the desire to know more about other people’s cultures and
their way of life. These include learning about a place’s history, experiencing the food and drink,
admiring the natural and man-made places, listening to their music and a desire to acquire
native products and produce from the place.

3. Interpersonal Motivations – related to a desire to meet and make new friends in other places,
visit old friends, childhood relatives and places in one’s early life to relive the past and keep the
current with the present, and escape from the daily environment at home.

4. Status and Prestige Motivators – related to self-fulfillment achieved through travel, and include
personal development.

Leisure Travel De-Motivators

1. Cost of Travel – travel is dependent on disposable income.

2. Lack of Time – people without enough time for individual and leisure activities and those who
cannot leave their jobs or businesses for vacation purposes, will never travel.

3. Health – poor health is not conducive to travel.

4. Family Stage – applicable to parents of young children.

5. Lack of Interest

6. Fear and Safety

Other Factors that Influence Travel

1. Age

2. Gender

3. Education

Market Variables

1. Socio-Economic and Demographic – Age, Education, Gender, Civil Status, Social Class, Race,
Religion, Occupation and Profession

2. Product-Related – traveler’s desired length of stay, which destination, activities included, etc.

3. Psychographic – personality traits and lifestyles.

A. Allocentric – has interest patterns that focus on various activities. It is characterized by

adventure and willingness to reach out and experiment with life. The person is outgoing
and self-confident.
Introduction to Travel and Tour Management
Chapter 5: Markets and Destinations

B. Psychocentric – he is confined to a more secured and familiar surroundings and is less apt
to go on for a new unfamiliar experience.

4. Geographic – traveler’s home country, region of residence, and population density.

Types of Tourism

HISTORICAL TOURISM – guided tours of monuments, visit to churches, temples and museums, and light
and sound shows that are representative of important historical events.

CULTURAL TOURISM – guided tours that include tasting the local cuisine and the viewing of and
participating in folk dance performances and demonstrations and purchase of local arts/crafts, as well as
observance of religious rites and ceremonies.

RELIGIOUS TOURISM – travel for spiritual renewal and to experience and observe the religious practices
of a locality. Activities may include participation on religious rites, audiences with religious and spiritual
leaders, and firsthand exposure to sites of religious importance.

ADVENTURE TOURISM – travel for purpose of challenging oneself in specialized skills acquired. It
involves a degree of training and personal risk.

ENVIRONMENTAL OR ECO-TOURISM – travel for purpose of observing and living with exotic people or
native tribes. It draws travelers to distant and not-easily accessible areas to view the flora and fauna of
the locality, interact with the indigenous people and admire the natural and environmental attractions.

CULINARY TOURISM – defined as “eating and drinking” holiday along with the study of food production
and processing and participation in food and beverage activities in a relaxed environment.

MEDICAL TOURISM – defined as a health holiday along with a provision for cost-effective private medical
care in collaboration with the tourism industry for patients needing surgical and/or other forms of
specialized treatment.

RECREATIONAL TOURISM – typified by participation in light sports, indoor, or otherwise, and social
contacts in a relaxed environment.

Corporate Travel – it is sponsored travel for financial or economic gain and for representation purposes
in private or public sector events. It is composed of businessmen, corporate travelers, seafarers, and
land-based contract workers. Government officials traveling on official government business also is
included.

DESTINATION – defined as a specific area that a traveler decides to visit for the day or spend at least
one night. It is not just a place en route to a traveler’s ultimate destination. Travelers select destinations
according to their interest and purpose of travel.

A destination must have sufficient and adequate facilities to meet the needs of the travelers in terms of
transportation within the destination, lodging facilities, food and beverage outlets, attractions or
interest, active and passive entertainment activities and essential support infrastructure. It must also
have adequate basic support services such as medical care, police and fire departments. Lastly, a
destination’s attractions must have an appeal to induce visitors to come, whether tangible or
psychological.

Categories of Destinations

NATURAL ATTRACTIONS – those attributes and sights that are inherent of the place.

CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS – those related to the history and way of life of a place.

RECREATIONAL FACILITIES – tourism infrastructure designed for leisure purposes.

RELIGIOUS GATHERINGS AND FESTIVALS – those that attract pilgrims because of their spiritual
importance.
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Chapter 5: Markets and Destinations

Destination Assessment

1. Transportation – it refers to accessibility by air, sea or land, in terms of travel time, type of
equipment, convenience and safety. The cost of accessibility and mobility within the destination
to sites and sights of interest, whether by private or public means is also a consideration.

2. Facilities – availability of lodging facilities, and the quantity of beds for sales are also major
considerations. Variety of F and B establishments, and support industries are also considered,

3. Infrastructure – the degree of development of basic infrastructure may discourage would-be

visitors regardless of destination’s attractions.

4. Attractions – the scope entails identifying it as a sight to view and admire, an activity to
participate in and experience, or an activity to learn from to enhance one’s knowledge.

5. Hospitality Resources – the general public attitude towards visitors and language facilities will
enhance the desirability of the destination to the travelers.

Matching Markets with Destinations

To determine a good match between markets and destinations, a market profile must first be
established. For the purpose of having a view of the Philippine domestic traveler, there are three types
of domestic travelers:

1. The Budget Traveler – totally dependent on the parents for financial support and her time is
subject to the schedule of events.

2. The Regular Traveler – employed either in a government or the private sector. He/she is
between 23-30 years old, with a college degree, and earns 16T-30T pesos a month. He/she may
hold a managerial position and his/her disposable time is limited only to vacation leaves from
employment.

3. The High-End Traveler – definitely married, with a post-graduate degree, ages 31-50, earns 40T-
500T pesos per year. He/she is a business person or in senior management with ample
disposable time and money.

Destination Evaluation

1. Accessibility – includes all transportation to and from the origin to the destination by air, land or
sea, plus all support infrastructure. It also includes transfers to and from the place of lodging
and within the destination to sites and sights of interest.

2. Comfort and Convenience – the former refers to facilities catering to the basic human needs,
while the latter includes improvement of the basic facilities.

3. Education and Entertainment – product must have an education value, where the visitor feels
he/she has learned something new and contain an entertainment element.

4. Service, Safety and Security – product must meet the visitor’s expectations, in particular on the
human side, and must include the prevention of accidents and the maintenance of peace and
order.

Tourism Destination – geographic area with adequate facilities that is visited because of its attractions,
activities or events.

Tourism Site – component of a destination centered on specific sights, activities or events.

Tourism Sight – attraction at a site known for its exceptional beauty and/or its uniqueness.
Introduction to Travel and Tour Management
Chapter 5: Markets and Destinations

The Good Match

To know the good match between the Philippine domestic market, and the Philippine destinations, it is
necessary to establish the baseline that will serve as the basis for planning effective marketing for a
selected destination, sight or site. These baselines are defined by the physical connectivity between
market and destination areas. Road links, air bridges and sealane connections provide the bases for
determining the baseline.

 Intra-regional connections are evaluated for the group movement of budget travelers in terms
of configuration and capacity;

 Intra-regional and inter-regional links for regular and high-end travelers will also consider mode
and quality of choice and schedule.

BUDGET TRAVELER REGULAR TRAVELER HIGH-END TRAVELER

Run of the mill, sightseeing Either site or event-oriented Off-the-beaten-track
oriented, geographical (by destination. Thematic (by
proximity) special interests)

Types of Tourists Travel Motivators Types of Destinations

Psychographic Profiles Physical Travel Expectation and
 Allocentric  Rest Experiences Sought
 Business
 Near Allocentric  Relaxation
 Cultural
 Mid-centric  Recreation
 Ethnic, Environment,
 Near Psychocentric Cultural Economic
Knowledge of people and
 Psychocentric places  Historical
Demographic Profiles Personal Interaction
 Escape from routine  Recreation
 Income
 VFR  Mixed
 Age
Status and Prestige National Locations
 Occupation  Luzon
 Personal Development
 Place of Work/Abode  Visayas
 Pursuit of hobbies and
 Family Stages education  Mindanao
 Self-fulfillment International Locations
Age  Southeast Asia
Gender  East and South Asia
Education
 Central, Middle East
 Europe
 Oceania
 The Americas

Primary Link – results in client satisfaction that results when a traveler is directed to the appropriate
destination. This requires a good understanding of the traveler’s psychological and demographic profile
and the travel motivators of a particular trip.

Secondary Link – relates to the familiarity of the client with the destination as a result of promotion and
marketing of destinations to the appropriate target markets. Understanding the type of tourist and their
Introduction to Travel and Tour Management
Chapter 5: Markets and Destinations

travel motivators in the target market will provide the basis for the type of products abd services that
will be offered at the destination.