MODULE 1

MICRO PERSPECTIVE OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY

-Every traveler is driven by his/her own motivation and profile. For every travel that a tourist does, he or
she is being motivated by personal intention or purpose. The status in life or in society of a person
greatly contributes to choice of destination,mode of travel, accommodation, and activities.

-to understand better the tourist, it is important that any business engaged in tourism and hospitality
consider what motivates the tourist and also to know his/her profile which will greatly help in the
betterment of the service industry.

The Psychology of Tourism-it is is the understanding of clients motivation to visit particular destinations,
use available services, clients needs and satisfaction.

A. Motivation for travel--an internal force that arouses and pushes an individual from choosing a
particular destination with the intention of getting the desired benefits and satisfaction

4 basic travel motivators

1. Physical motivators- include those related to physical rest, sports participant, beach recreation,
relaxing entertainment, and other motivations directly connected with health.

2. Cultural motivators- include the desire to know about other countries their music, art, folklore,
dances, paintings, and religion.

3. Interpersonal motivators- pertain to the desire to meet other people, visit friends or relatives,
escape from routine, from family, and neighbors.

4. Status and prestige motivator- concern ego needs and personal development. Included in this
group are trips related to business, conventions, study, and pursuit of hobbies and education.

B. Travel as a means to satisfy a need and want

-the key to understand tourist motivation is to view vacation travel as a vehicle to satisfy one’s needs and
wants. Tourist do not go on vacation just to relax and have fun, to experience another culture, or to
educate themselves and their children.

C. Relationship of needs, wants and motives

- the difference between a need and a want is awareness. It is the duty of people involved in marketing
to convert needs into wants by making the individuals aware of his need deficiencies. This awareness
must be accompanied by motivation. A motive enables a person to do something. Motivation occurs
when an individual wants to satisfy a need. Push/Pull Model

-the push/pull model explains the push and pull forces in human motivation. According to the push/pull
model, there are push and pull forces in human motivation. Internal factors or personal needs “push”
people to travel, while external forces or attractions “pull” them to certain destination.

Maslow’s Theory of Motivation and Travel Motivation

-A study of travel motivations found in travel literature indicates that these motivations fit into the
hierarchy of needs model of Abraham Maslow, a famous psychologist

5 hierarchy of needs

1. Physiological needs- hunger, thirst, rest, activity

2. Safety needs- safety and security, freedom from fear and anxiety

3. Social needs- love, affection, giving and receiving

4. Self esteem- self-respect and esteem from others

5. Self-actualization- personal self-fulfillment

This hierarchy suggests that the lower needs demand more immediate satisfaction than the satisfaction
of higher needs.

Tourist Motivations

A. The Need For Escape or Change- The greatest reason for travel can be summed up in one word,
“escape”- escape from the dull daily routine; escape from the familial,the common place, the ordinary
escape from the job, the boss, the customers, the house,, and the accelerated pace of modern life.

B. Travel for Health- Development in the field of medicine has influenced travel for centuries ,
giving rise to the concept of health tourism. Majority of people think of vacationing as a means of
regaining one’s energy, interest, and enthusiasm of the job.

C. Sports - Interest in sports, either as a participant or a spectator, is attracting large segments of

the population. People demand activity and excitement during their leisure hours to relieve them from
boredom of their work.

D. Social Contact-much traveler grows out of the social nature of people. They need contact and
communication with others. They feel comfortable in a tour group. In the group, the traveler may
develop friendships that may last for years.some tour groups have reunions after the tour took place.

E. Status and prestige- travel provides the means for ego and self- enhancement. Travel to a poor
country can provide the traveler with a feeling of superiority.-

F. Travel for education- the search for knowledge and truth is inherit in every individual. Travel
offers an opportunity to satisfy the urge to learn. When a person reads a book about a place, or sees a
television program with that place as backdrop, he or she suddenly discovers a desperate desire to go
there.

G. Personal Values-the notion of personal values is an important travel motivator. Many people are
urge to travel to satisfy personal values, such as the search for spiritual experiences, patriotism, and
wholesomeness. H. Cultural Experience-cross-cultural exchange, experiencing how other people live, and
fostering understanding are some of the reasons to satisfy curiosity about other cultures, lifestyles, and
places. Studies conducted among travelers abroad reveal that seeking a new cultural experience is a
primary reason for international travel.

I. Shopping and Bargain Hunting-to many people,the joys derived from buying certain goods may be the
the major reason for travel. Millions of travelers go to Hong Kong, Singapore, and other tax-free ports to
shop. J. Professional and Business Motives- A great number of people travel for professional and
business motives.more than one half of all airlines travel is done by business travelers. Approximately
60% to 70% of guests who check in at five star hotels around the world travel for business reasons.

K. Search For Natural Beauty- travel can satisfy one’s search for beauty in the environment and in the
scenery. Natural beauty such as the sunset, trees, mountains, waterfalls, flowers, beaches, valleys, bays,
rivers, and lakes is usually pleasurable to the viewer.

C lassification of Travelers Based on Purpose of Travel

A. Business Travelers- majority of travelers in most developed countries such as the United sates,
Canada, and the United Kingdom are business travelers.

3 Category of Business Travelers

1. Regular Business Travelers-among business travelers, the cost of the trip is shouldered by a company;
hence, travel is not influence by personal income. The volume and rate of growth of business travel is
not greatly affected by the cost of travel.

2. Business Travelers Attending Meetings, Conventions, Congresses

- travel pulse surveys indicate that 20% of all business travel trips are for the purpose of attending
meetings, conventions, and congresses.

3. Incentive Travelers- it is a special type of business travel. It is travel given by firms to employees as a
reward for some accomplishment or to encourage employees to achieve more than what is required.

B. Pleasure/Personal Travelers

- this group consist of people traveling for vacation or pleasure. They are also called “non business
travelers”. non-business travelers have different spending patterns from business travelers. Non-business
travelers are very much concerned with the increase in the price of travel services since the cost of travel
is usually shouldered by the traveler himself.

4 Categories of Pleasure/Personal Traveler

1. Resort Traveler- surveys have shown that resort travelers are better educated, have higher
house-hold incomes, and are more likely to have professional and managerial positions. It is also notable
that majority of resort traveler have families with children.

2. Family Pleasure Travelers- the family pleasure travelers can be divided in to three groups

A. Junior families- with parents aged 20-34 having preschool and or grade school children only B.
Midrange families- with parents aged 35-44 with grade school and or high school children only
C. Mature families- with parents aged 45 or over with children who are high school age and older.

3. The Elderly- older people have the opportunity to travel for longer periods and to destinations
that are quite different from what they are used to. Older people do indeed have more ongoing medical
issues and some limitations due to the aging process.

4. Single and Couples- another important segment of pleasure travel consist of singles and couples.
They take their vacations to fulfill their psychological, intellectual, and physical needs by giving them the
opportunity to rest, relax, escape the routine of pressures of daily living.

Travel Constraints

A. Lack of Money- it is the major travel constraints. Less money means less travel.

B. Lack of Time- is another inhibiting factor to tourist travel.

C. Lack of Safety and Security- lack of safety and securities in public places, hotels, and travel
centers cause people to prefer to remain in the security of their neighborhood and home.

D. Physical Disability- in the form of bad health or physical handicap may keep people at home.

E. Family Commitments- parents with young children find it inconvenient and expensive to go on
holiday.

F. Lack of Interest in Travel- this is mainly due to a preference to simply stay at home.this condition
may be due to variety of factors, such as dislike of travel, shyness in meeting people, dislike of changing
routine, and many more

G. Fears- some people do not want to travel because of fears of travel.fear of flying is quite
common and accounts for many people who insist on driving to a vacation.