Bagged Clustering and its application to tourism market segmentation

Aim of the paper is to propose a segmentation technique based on the Bagged Clustering (BC) method. In the partitioning step of the BC method, B bootstrap samples with replacement are generated by drawing from the original sample.The fuzzy C-medoids Clustering (FCMdC) method is run on each bootstrap sam- ple, obtaining (B × C) medoids and the membership degrees of each unit to the different clusters.The sec- ond step consists in running a hierarchical clustering algorithm on the (B × C) medoids. The best partition of the medoids is obtained investigating properly the dendrogram.Then each unit is assigned to each cluster based on the membership degrees observed in the partitioning step.The effectiveness of the sug- gested procedure has been shown analyzing a suggestive tourism segmentation problem. Weanalyze two sample of tourists, each one attending adifferent cultural attraction, enlightening differences among clusters in socio-economic characteristics and in the motivational reasons behind visit behavior. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Visitors of two types of museums: A segmentation study

Market segmentation comprises a wide range of measurement tools that are useful for the sake of supporting marketing and promotional policies also in the sector of cultural economics. This paper aims to contribute to the literature on segmenting cultural visitors by using the Bagged Clustering method, as an alternative and effective strategy to conduct cluster analysis when binary variables are used. The technique is a combination of hierarchical and partitioning methods and presents several advantages with respect to more standard techniques, such as k-means and LVQ. For this purpose, two ad hoc surveys were conducted between June and September 2011 in the two principal museums of the two provinces of the Trentino-South Tyrol region (Bolzano and Trento), Northern Italy: the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in Bolzano (ÖTZI), hosting the permanent exhibition of the "Iceman" Ötzi, and the Museum of Modern and Contemporaneous Art of Trento and Rovereto (MART). The segmentation analysis was conducted separately for the two kinds of museums in order to find similarities and differences in behaviour patterns and characteristics of visitors. The analysis identified three and two cluster segments respectively for the MART and ÖTZI visitors, where two ÖTZI clusters presented similar characteristics to two out of three MART groups. Conclusions highlight marketing and managerial implications for a better direction of the museums. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Segmenting Markets by Bagged Clustering: Young Chinese Travelers to Western Europe.

Market segmentation is ubiquitous in marketing. Hierarchical and nonhierarchical methods are popular for segmenting tourism markets. These methods are not without controversy. In this study, we use bagged clustering on the push and pull factors of Western Europe to segment potential young Chinese travelers. Bagged clustering overcomes some of the limitations of hierarchical and nonhierarchical methods. A sample of 403 travelers revealed the existence of four clusters of potential visitors. The clusters were subsequently profiled on sociodemographics and travel characteristics. The findings suggest a nascent young Chinese independent travel segment that cannot be distinguished on push factors but can be differentiated on perceptions of the current independent travel infrastructure in Western Europe. Managerial implications are offered on marketing and service provision to the young Chinese outbound travel market

Segmenting visitors of cultural events: The case of Christmas Market

Market segmentation in tourism makes use of sets of powerful analytical tools for the sake of planning and managing demand-oriented policies. This paper contributes to this strand of literature by segmenting tourists visiting a cultural event. We utilize the Bagged Clustering method, a combination of traditional partitioning and hierarchical techniques, which is proven to be more effective. An ad hoc survey was conducted in 2011 among the Italian visitors of the Christmas Market in Merano, Northern Italy. A total of 802 questionnaires were collected. In discussing the results, marketing and managerial implications are stressed for both policymakers and local organizers. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Bagged fuzzy clustering for fuzzy data: An application to a tourism market.

Segmentation has several strategic and tactical implications in marketing products and services. Despite hard clustering methods having several weaknesses, they remain widely applied in marketing studies. Alternative segmentation methods such as fuzzy methods are rarely used to understand consumer behaviour. In this study, we propose a strategy of analysis, by combining the Bagged Clustering (BC) method and the fuzzy C-means clustering method for fuzzy data (FCM-FD), i.e., the Bagged fuzzy C-means clustering method for fuzzy data (BFCM-FD). The method inherits the advantages of stability and reproducibility from BC and the flexibility from FCM-FD. The method is applied on a sample of 328 Chinese consumers revealing the existence of four segments (Admirers, Enthusiasts, Moderates, and Apathetics) of the perceived images of Western Europe as a tourist destination. The results highlight the heterogeneity in Chinese consumers' place preferences and implications for place marketing are offered

Why Wine Tourists Visit Cellar Doors: Segmenting Motivation and Destination Image.

This study examines the relationship between the motivation of wine tourists to visit cellar doors and destination image perception. A survey of tourists resulted in 676 useable questionnaires. Using a novel segmentation method, self organizing maps (SOM) and bagged clustering (BC), the study identified five distinct motivation clusters. These clusters were different on only gender and previous visit to the wine region. Three clusters of destination image were identified using the same segmentation method. Significant relationships were found between the motivation and destination image clusters. Implications for destination marketing and managing the tourist experience at the winery cellar door are discussed

Me, My Girls, and the Ideal Hotel: Segmenting Motivations of the Girlfriend Getaway Market Using Fuzzy C-Medoids for Fuzzy Data.

Segmenting the motivation of travelers using the push and pull framework remains ubiquitous in tourism. This study segments the girlfriend getaway (GGA) market on motivation (push) and accommodation (pull) attributes and identifies relationships between these factors. Using a relatively novel clustering algorithm, the Fuzzy C-Medoids clustering for fuzzy data (FCM-FD), on a sample of 749 women travelers, three segments (Socializers, Enjoyers, and Rejoicers) are uncovered. The results of a multinomial fractional model show relationships between the clusters of motivation and accommodation attributes as well as sociodemographic characteristics. The research highlights the importance of using a gendered perspective in applying well established motivation models such as the push and pull framework. The findings have implications for both destination and accommodation management

Fuzzy segmentation of postmodern tourists.

In postmodern tourism, the experiences of each tourist could not be summarized only through a unique perspective but multiple and disjointed perspectives are necessary. The aim of this paper is to create a nexus between postmodern tourist and fuzzy clustering, and to propose a suitable clustering procedure to segment postmodern tourists. From a methodological perspective, the main contribution of this paper is related to the use of the fuzzy theory from the beginning to the end of the clustering process. Furthermore, the suggested procedure is capable of analysing the uncertainty and vagueness that characterise the experiences and perceptions of postmodern consumers. From a managerial perspective, fuzzy clustering methods offer to practitioners a more realistic multidimensional description of the market not forcing consumers to belong to one cluster. Moreover, the results are easy and comprehensible to read since they are similar to those obtained with more traditional clustering techniques

Fuzzy Clustering Approach for Marketing Recycled Products of Tabriz Municipality Waste Management Organization

The main concern of municipalities is the realization of sustainable revenues. Organizations affiliated with municipalities should play a role in generating revenue by defining specialized tasks while assisting municipal tasks. Tabriz Municipality Waste Management Organization seeks to achieve this by defining its strategies and goals. The organization has implemented various projects to generate revenue from recycled products. Poor planning and failure to fully outsource are among the obstacles of this organization. Therefore, marketing of recycled products is an important project. Lack of careful planning in this regard, marketing costs and weakness of private sector investment projects are the most important obstacles facing the organization. This article has determined the degree of homogeneity of waste organization projects in the marketing of recycled products with a fuzzy clustering approach and according to the opinions of experts. The results show that some of the organization's projects lack value. Instead, some projects, such as the construction of a recycling town with a variety of recycled products, renewable energy recycling, and plastic recycling with a variety of products, have similar features in the product mix marketing element, and this can reduce marketing costs and Focus on such projects