An Overview Of Tourist Motivation Tourism Essay Example

physiological, social, egoistic, safety, and self-actualization needs. External stimuli are also influenced by marketing efforts.

Travel motivations can be categorized as either personal or interpersonal. Personal motivations include personal development, reward, relaxation, and knowledge. Interpersonal motivations result from social relationships (Dann 1977; Yoon and Uysal 2005). Dann (1977) further divides personal motivations into those that incite individuals to travel or break away from daily routines or satisfy a desire to escape isolation.

Interpersonal motivations stem from the need for social recognition that can be fulfilled through travel. Crompton (1979) introduces the concept of "push" and "pull" factors to explain travel motivations. Push factors refer to the desire for travel itself while pull factors explain the choice of destination.Crompton (year) categorized the motives of leisure travelers into nine categories, with seven being socio-psychological or push motivations and two being cultural or pull motivations. The push motivations include wanting to escape from everyday life, self-exploration and evaluation, relaxation, prestige-seeking, novelty-seeking, strengthening kinship relationships, and facilitating social interaction. On the other hand, the pull motivations are driven by the allure of something new and the opportunity for education.

According to Maslow's (1943) theory on motivational needs, there are two types: tension-reducing needs and arousal-seeking needs. Maslow further identified a hierarchy of five needs that progress from lower to higher levels. At the bottom are basic physiological needs like food, water, and air. Above them is the need for safety and security. Only once these lower-level needs are met can individuals focus on higher-level needs. As they progress through each level, their priorities shift accordingly.

While Cooper et al. (2005) challenge Maslow's theory by questioning his selection of basic needs, Page (2003) argues

that it remains relevant in understanding human behavior as it provides predictability compared to the belief that human behavior is irrational.The tourism literature has utilized Maslow's theory to comprehend psychological motivations in tourism, despite facing criticism. This theory provides a convenient framework for understanding underlying motives behind trips, such as shopping with the intention of impressing others and gaining higher social status. According to Iso-Ahola (1982), tourists may switch their motivations throughout a vacation, as new needs arise once initial ones are satisfied. Based on Maslow's theories, this text suggests that satisfying the primary demand for relaxation during a vacation can lead to awareness and fulfillment of other demands like exploration and self-actualization. Dann (1981) identifies seven elements related to tourist motives: desired experiences as a reason for travel, attraction towards specific destinations, engagement in culturally unacceptable activities, classified intent, motivational typologies, tourist experiences, and self-definition.Beard and Ragheb (1983) suggest four motivational demands based on Maslow's work, including the rational component and social component. The rational component involves engaging in leisure activities for intellectual reasons, while the social component involves engaging in leisure activities for social reasons. Within the rational component, there are two basic demands: a demand for friendly relationships and interpersonal relationships, and a demand for the regard of others. The competence-mastery constituent assesses the extent to which individuals engage in leisure activities to accomplish challenges and compete. These activities are typically physical in nature. Lastly, there is the stimulus-avoidance constituent which assesses the desire to escape over-stimulating life situations. Some individuals seek solitude and calm conditions, while others seek rest and relaxation.

P. Pearce (1988), when studying motivation for tourism using a travel

ladder concept, proposed that motivations are multivariate and dynamic. They can change as a result of aging, lifecycle phase, and influence from other people. Pearce suggested five motive categories: relaxation, stimulation, relationship, self-esteem, and development fulfillment. In his model, these motives can be divided into two categoriesThe text discusses different motives for travel, such as relaxation, stimulation, relationships, self-esteem and development, and fulfillment. These motives can be individual or directed towards others. For example, relaxation can be enjoyed alone or with others to distance oneself from external excitement. Stimulation can arise from personal safety concerns or concern for the safety of others. Relationships can involve giving love and maintaining connections or being part of a group. Self-esteem and development can involve personal growth or prestige and allure. Fulfillment is completely self-driven in fulfilling dreams and bringing inner peace.

However, there are criticisms against Pearce's travel motives based on risk and safety levels. Chadwick (1987) offers a simplified classification of three main categories for why people travel. The text explores various factors and typologies related to tourist behavior.The text discusses various typologies that have implications for understanding the impact of tourism on destinations. It also mentions sociological theories related to tourist motivation. Cohen's studies classified tourists into four types based on their motives, which emphasized their desire for both novelty and familiarity. Smith further expanded on Cohen's typologies by identifying seven classes of tourists known as "interactive typologies". However, Plog criticized the validity of Smith's typology and proposed his own classification based on individuals' general lifestyles or value systems. Plog categorized individuals into two groups: allo-centric and psycho-centric. The former are confident, naturally curious, and seek out

unfamiliar experiences when traveling, while the latter prefer the familiar and are less adventurous. This typology can be used to analyze tourist motives, attitudes towards specific destinations, and travel styles.Williams (2002), there are some issues with tourist typologies. They explain that Plog (1973) used a psychometric scale to classify tourists into allo-centric, mid-centric, and psycho-centric based on their focus on their own culture and the one they are visiting. Psychocentric tourists prefer nice swimming pools, well-organized trips, good facilities, and bar lunches. Cooper et al (2005) argue that these tourists have conservative travel patterns but question the relevance of this classification. They suggest that tourists may visit nearby psychocentric-type countries on a second trip while choosing an allocentric-type destination for their main vacation. Gottlieb (in Davidoff and Davidoff, 1983) identifies two types of tourists: those who seek luxury beyond their means in everyday life and those who already have access to material luxuries but desire simpler experiences in their leisure time.

However, Shaw & Williams (2002) point out several problems with tourist typologies. Firstly, these models are relatively static due to a lack of information. Lowyck et al (1990) also acknowledge that individuals change as tourists over time, but current typologies do not capture these changing behaviors adequately enough. Additionally, tourist typologies only provide generalizations rather than comprehensive insights into individual preferences and behaviors.According to Williams (2002), despite their limitations, these typologies provide valuable insights into the motives and behaviors of tourists. It is crucial for those involved in planning and marketing tourist destinations to understand the various types of tourism purposes and motivations. All service providers and tourism planners must know why people desire their

products. However, determining tourism motives presents many difficulties. As Seaton (1997) suggests, people rarely consider the underlying reasons for their actions, including motivations for activities such as sex tourism which may not undergo much critical examination.

The reasons for engaging in tourism often involve conflicting desires. For instance, some seek freshness and adventure by exploring new places while others prefer familiarity and security by staying in hotels with familiar amenities. Additionally, differentiating individual motivations from societal constructs of motivations proves challenging.

People often provide justifications influenced upon them rather than accurately representing the true reason for their trip. Understanding what drives people to leave their homes and travel to new places can assist in managing tourists and planning a pleasurable experience for them.

Ultimately, comprehending tourist motivation can explain why certain destinations thrive as successful hotspots while others struggle or decline due to changing tastes and trends.