Psychology of Travel PDF

Psychology of Travel When people decide to leave the comforts of their home and venture to other locations there is usually a reason behind it or motivator for traveling. Whether the cause to travel was a last minute whimsy or had an actual purpose, it makes one think about all of the reasons why pe...

Psychology of Travel When people decide to leave the comforts of their home and venture to other locations there is usually a reason behind it or motivator for traveling. Whether the cause to travel was a last minute whimsy or had an actual purpose, it makes one think about all of the reasons why people travel. Motivation for travel In order to understand why travel and tourism are so popular it is important to look at what draws people to these activities. According to a 2009 survey, top 10 reasons why people travel: 1. Romance 2. Relaxation 3. Family/Friends 4. Religion 5. Death 6. Honeymoon 7. Education 8. Celebration 9. Medical/Health 10. Work Why do People Travel Escape Relief of tension Sun lust Physical Relaxation Health Family togetherness Interpersonal relations Roots or ethnic Maintain social contacts Status and prestige Self-discovery Scenery  Cultural Education Professional/business Wanderlust Interest in foreign areas The need for escape or change Escape from daily routine, familiar, commonplace, ordinary; escape from the job, boss, customers, house, pace of modern life. Travel can provide complexity. It removes a person from familiar surroundings to something that Is new and exciting. Travel for Health Development in the field of medicine have influenced travel, giving rise to the concept of health tourism. Majority of people think of vacationing as a means of regaining one’s energies, interest, and enthusiasm for the job. The mineral water of different springs were believed to cure different ailments such as rheumatism, heart and circulation disorders, diabetes and problems of the kidneys and gall bladder. Americans suffering from different maladies go to China or Hong Kong to undergo acupuncture or to the Philippines to consult faith healers. Sports People demand activity and excitement during their leisure hours to relieve them from the boredom of their work. They indulge in activities such as hiking, surfing, scuba diving, mountaineering etc. The Olympic Games which is held every 4 years attract millions of tourists. Social Contact Human beings are social animals. They need contact and communication with others. They feel comfortable in a tour group. In the group, the traveler may develop friendships. Some tour groups have reunions after the tour took place. Travel increases the “sociability resources” of individuals. Status and Prestige Travel provides the means for ego or self-enhancement. Travel to a poor country can provide the traveler with a feeling of superiority. Travel can provide a means of mingling with the wealthy and the social elite. Being well-traveled enhances one’s status in the society. A trip to an out-of-the-ordinary destination adds glamour to one’s personality. Travel for Education The search for knowledge and truth is inherent in every individual. Travel offers an opportunity to satisfy the urge to learn. Once an interest has been developed in a destination area, the urge to see that area emerges and the interest grows as knowledge increases. Personal Values Search for spiritual experience, patriotism and wholesomeness.Pilgrimages to religious sites or Holy Places such as the Vatican, Lourdes, Jerusalem, Mecca are undertaken for spiritual reasons. Trips to Corregidor in the Philippines are made to satisfy personal values of wholesome environment and patriotism. Cultural Experience Cross-cultural exchanges, experiencing how other people live and fostering international understanding are some of the reasons to satisfy curiosity about other cultures, lifestyles, and places. North Americans are attracted to go to Europe because their ancestors came from there and their history classes are full of stories about it. Shopping The joys derived from buying certain goods may be the major reason for travel. Millions of travelers go to Hong Kong, Singapore and other tax-free ports to shop. Bargain hunting or being able to get special merchandise at low cost is a travel motivator. Basic Travel Motivators 1.Physical Motivators 2.Cultural Motivators 3.Interpersonal Motivators 4.Status and Prestige Motivators Physical Motivators Include those related to physical rest, sports participation, beach recreation, relaxing entertainment and other motivators directly connected with health. Cultural Motivators Include the desire to know about other countries – their music, art, folklore, dances, paintings and religion. Interpersonal Motivators Pertain to the desire to meet other people, visit friends or relatives, escape from routine, and from neighbors. Status and Prestige Motivators Concern ego needs and personal development. Motivation A state of need, a condition that exerts a push as the individual towards certain types of action that are seen as likely to bring satisfaction. Occurs when an individual wants to satisfy a need. May be physical or mental relaxation. In Tourism It is part of the consumption process and is stimulated by a complex mixture of economic, social, psychological, cultural, political, industry-related and wider environmental influences. Acts as a trigger which stimulates the chain of events in the tourism process. Understanding Tourist Motivation and Decision-Making 1.Planning considerations 2.Economic considerations Planning Considerations All destinations require some form of planning and management, and control of negative impacts, where it may be appropriate to divert tourists of particular activities away from vulnerable areas. Economic Considerations Growth and development of the tourism industry in a region or corporate growth are dependent on understanding consumer behavior, particularly through market segmentation strategies.  Motive- Enables a person to do something. Travel as a Means to Satisfy a Need and Want Tourists take vacations in the belief that these vacations will satisfy, either completely or partially, various needs and wants. –Need – necessity (sense of urgency) –Want – desire Relationship of Needs, Wants and Motives The difference between a need and a want is awareness. –Awareness must be accompanied by motivation. Awareness An individual will be motivated to buy a product or service if he perceives that the purchase of that product or service will be beneficial in satisfying the need. Objective or Goal This must be present to enable a person to be motivated to satisfy a need. Maslow’s Theory of Motivation and Travel Motivations Physiological Needs Safety Needs Belonging and Love Needs Esteem Needs Aesthetic Needs Self-actualization Needs Physiological Needs –Those who say that they travel “escape” or “to relieve tension” Safety Needs –Traveling for health and recreation Belonging and Love Needs –Organized tour is a method of encouraging and satisfying this need for interpersonal relations and social interaction Need for Esteem –Self-esteem – is shown in the desire to exhibit achievement, competence and independence. –Esteem for others – explained by the concepts of prestige, status and recognition Self-actualization –Regarded as the goal of leisure. Psychocentrics –Centered on self, inhibited and unadventurous Midcentrics –Traveler falls between the allocentric and psychocentric types. Allocentrics –Highly curious, thrive on stimulation and change  Business travelers Incentive travelers Pleasure/personal travelers –Resort travelers –Family pleasure travelers –The elderly –Singles and couples Travel Constraint There are many things that motivate people to travel, but there also many things that deter people from travelling as well. Lack of money Lack of time Lack of safety and security Physical disability Family commitments  Lack of interest in travel Fears of travel