Travellers seeking enrichment

Otago Business School marketing assistant research fellow Dr Jessica Mei Pung. Photo: Supplied
Otago Business School marketing assistant research fellow Dr Jessica Mei Pung. Photo: Supplied
Since Covid-19 travel restrictions were lifted, travellers are increasingly seeking activities that help them achieve new levels of enrichment and are more conscious of the value they want to gain from their holidays.

New University of Otago-led research shows there is an untapped market for "transformative" tourism products and services.

A study examined 514 male and female travellers and their subjective travel experiences, and found nine types of tourist transformation — a process people undergo when they experience change during a trip.

Lead author and Otago Business School marketing assistant research fellow Dr Jessica Mei Pung said of the types identified, there was a significant difference between men’s and women’s experiences in just two — reflection and transformative learning outcomes.

"Female travellers have a greater engagement in consciousness and self-examination compared with males.

"Secondly, female travellers show a greater achievement of self-efficacy as a result of facing challenges and solving problems during their trips.

"Holiday experiences are an opportunity for female travellers to reflect more on their personal relationships, while males might have a less reflective approach to change and be more oriented towards mastering a specific activity."

She said the study provided useful knowledge for the design of transformative tourism products and services.

Research comparing female tourists’ transformations with males’ was limited and was reflected in the tourism experiences on offer.

For women, there are getaway packages and wellbeing retreats, while men were targeted with more general offerings, especially within sports tourism.

"There is an untapped market for transformative trips that are not necessarily portrayed as feminine or masculine, but that can deliver different types of experiences and benefits.

"As a result, tourism operators need to rethink how they communicate the offering to their male customers as effectively as they do to their female customers."

The other types of tourist transformation were how travellers experienced the distance from their everyday lives; the levels of immersion in nature and social dynamics of holiday activities; and feelings of independence, freedom, self-confidence and empowerment.

The study found men and women experienced these tourist transformations in similar ways, she said.

john.lewis@odt.co.nz

 

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