So in order to fully appreciate the unique psychological, social, and environmental characteristics of travel package consumers, marketers must first go through an acculturation process (Schiffman et. al. 2005). Levine (1998) states that cross-cultural training produces a wide range of positive skills, and research has shown, for example, that people who are well prepared for trans-cultural encounters have better working relationships with people from various cultural backgrounds. As they are better at setting and working toward realistic goals in other cultures. And are better at understanding and solving the problems they maybe confronted with. This would also allow them to develop a strategy, utilising this cultural knowledge that may encourage the target cultural market to modify or break with their traditions.
Conducting cross-cultural studies in travel packages has both its supporters and its critics. On one hand, supporters of cross-cultural studies, have pointed to a dearth of research related to the cultural differences and similarities of tourists, and have suggested that the rapid globalisation of the tourist phenomenon and its international nature warrants a better understanding of the global tourist (Woodside et. al. 2004). However critics, on the other hand, highlight the limitations of using nationality and country of residence as segmentation variables in tourism research. They both although, suggest that tourism is now well and truly a global phenomenon and exploiting destination are no longer culturally uniform (Woodside et. al. 2004).
However, Research supports the view that there is no such thing as a global consumer, as for example, Japanese tourists seem to want particular levels of service delivery that are not demanded by tourists from other countries in the world. Thereby enforcing the notion that packages have to the tailored to the cultural wants and expectation of the local consumer (Swarbrooke, 2006)
Due to this global phenomenon, it is also important to address how alternative multinational strategies would impact the purchase decisions and behaviour of holiday package consumers. Some firms adopt a strategy of utilising specific values of cultures in their advertising messages, while some follow a combination strategy, where they modify their global strategy with local executions (Schiffman et. al. 2005).When adopting a global strategy in travel packages marketing, there are several consumer behaviour marketing implications that must be considered. Standardised strategies for all cultures need to utilise local language, resulting in creative and production cost efficiencies. However localised strategies would need to be culture specific for each cross-culture market segment (Schiffman et. al. 2005).
Social class as an influencing factor
Being a special case of subcultures, social classes have been described as the consequence of the division of society, based on status and prestige where education and occupation are the basic factors as to which social class belongs (Decrop, 1999). According to Mayo and Jarvis (1981), the major influence on vacation travel behaviour is influenced by culture and social class. As well as Moutinho (1987) stated that ‘Travel decisions, thus, are very much affected by forces outside the individual, including the influences of other people. The forces that other people exert are called social influences. These social influences can be grouped into four major areas: 1). Role and family influences, 2). Reference groups, 3). Social classes, and 4). Culture and subculture’. Furthermore, based on marketing research conducted by Zamora, Valenzuela and Vasquez-Parraga (2004), social class significantly influences the choice of vacation destination especially in the case of destination loyalty. The next part of the essay will mainly discuss the influence of social class on the consumption of holiday package services.
Income, education and occupation can be known as important measurement of social class (Schiffman et. al. 2005). Based on the fact that there, rarely are studies on how occupation influences vacation decision making, this essay will mainly discuss income and education, their impact on consumer purchase decision making (holiday package) together with the new ‘techno-class’. In the end, marketing implications will be studied.
To begin with, income and education will be analyzed. Consumer researchers are using individual or family income as one of the measurement of social class. Income, the socioeconomic variable, can positively influence the decision of consumers to go on vacation and the expenditure of going on a holiday ( & 2005). & (2005) also stated that ‘The dimensions affecting the decision to go on holiday are income, household size, education, size of the city of origin and opinion of going on holiday. The determinant factors influencing the level of expenditure are distance between origin and destination, type of accommodation, income, household size, age, marital status and length of stay’. Not only has income a independent effect on consumers’ holiday package decision making, it can also be analyzed together with asset and age group to a have better understanding of the consumption process of vacation packages. However, ‘Income and assets combination have larger effects than age-group membership for explaining two types of vacationing behavior: taking an out-of-town vacation with lodging, and not taking an out-of-town vacation’ ( & 2005).
The education level also has positive effect on consumers’ purchase decision making as well. The general rule is: the higher education a person has, the more likely he/she can gain higher income. Besides, education level of a person can influence a person’s life-style, the ability to accept and understand new things and the willingness of gaining different experiences which are all elements that can influence the vacation plan of a person. Therefore, ‘higher levels of education are associated with a greater propensity to go on holiday’ ( & 2005).
Thirdly, there is a trend that: the new ‘techno-class’ are having and will have more effects on vacation decision making of consumers in the future. It is obvious that the Internet has indisputably become an essential part of everyday life and has changed the information gathering process, the purchase behaviour, the reference group and even the life-style of consumers. A recent US marketing research indicates that ‘with 60% of the high-net-worth saying they have joined an online social network up from 27% last year (2007)’ (anonymous 2008). Using the social network, wealthy people are exchanging opinions on hobbies, vacation spots and luxury goods (anonymous 2008).
After looking at the factors inflencing sub-class the marketing implications can be examined. Combined and presented by tour operator and travel agency, a package tour is a tourism product-mix made of three major components: (i) attraction of destination like site of location, images of destinations, events, natural characteristics; (ii) facilities in terms of accommodation, catering, entertainment facilities and (iii) accessibility like good road, airports (Meidan, 1984).
From an Asian’s perspective, when selecting a travel agency for a tour package, the individual considers value for money of the tour package and the reputation of the travel agency as the most important factors. On the other hand, age, level of education, occupation and income levels also have been revealed as significant influences regarding the selection of the travel agency (Meidan, 1984; Weaver, McCleary, 1984; Hui, 2005).
A Japanese study has demonstrated that vacation motives were highly related to the socio demographic variables and travelling characteristics like tour package (Heung, 2001). In fact, socio demographic variables such as age, income, occupation and past experience affect the perception of a destination image (Goodrich, 1980; Woodside & Lysonski, 1989; Um & Crompton, 1990).
As a matter of fact, age was described as a particularly discriminating demographic variable that influenced choice of destination like a 45 years old is more likely to seek novelty (Weaver, et al, 1994), while income and education can influence choosing nearby and further-away destinations, since better educated travellers with more disposal income tend to travel further from home (Zimmer, et al, 1995).
From a European perspective in terms of demographically criteria, package travellers tend to be middle-aged from 35 to 54, female, married that travels with groups of 2 or 4 relatives for the purpose of resort trips or visit friends (Anderson & Langmeyer, 1982). For more convenience, package travellers prefer to let travel agents and co-travellers do the arrangements. The reason of opting for a tour package is to learn new things and increase their knowledge whereas they are usually more interested in comfort, well-developed resorts and entertainment (Anderson & Langmeyer 1982).
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On the other hand, the 18 to 35 age group is also perceived as a viable segment for packaged tours marketing as they have a higher value on free time, have active lifestyle, are flexible, and are affluent enough to engage in travel (Kale, 1987). In fact, some of the vacation benefits sought by various segments are incompatible with one another (Mazanee 1984).
Besides, many individuals of this 18 to 35 age group are not yet encumbered by the expense and responsibility involved with raising a family (Kale, 1987). These affluent consumers belonging to upper middle class will be looking for scenic attractions and natural wonders, travel through areas of natural beauty by being exposed to the local culture. Furthermore, their expectations of tour package would be to have adequate free time so as to relax with opportunities for shopping and flexibility to select activities according to their mood (Kale 1987).
So from the above research it is clear that social class and cultural are two sides of the same coin. And the knowledge and understanding of these cross cultural factors can help marketer to establish a successful product in a friend marketing environment, fulfilling the needs and wants of the local customers; and for the marketer establishing an international or globally recognised brand.
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