Segmenting the senior travel market by means of travel motivation - Insights from a mature market (Switzerland)

The paper reports on the segmentation of Swiss senior travellers on the basis of their travel motivation. Switzerland is considered a mature market which is why this country serves as a role model for future travel behaviour. In contrast to previous studies, which identified up to six clusters, the results reveal that in the case analysed there are three clusters. Two of them partially represent a life cycle concept: TIME HONOURED BON VIVANTS (phase 1; towards the end of a professional life), and GRIZZLED EXPLORERS (phase 2; from the start of a retired life). These two segments are complemented by RETRO TRAVELLERS, which incor-porate many characteristics of the previous two but differentiate themselves in terms of educa-tion as well professional positions

Senior and non-senior traveller behaviour: some exploratory evidence from the holiday rental sector in Switzerland

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to test a number of hypotheses concerning the differences between senior and non-senior travelers in the particular context of holiday rentals. A further aim is to provide exploratory evidence for these differences. Design/methodology/approach – A brief review of the extant literature leads into the formulation of some hypotheses. The hypotheses are tested using survey data. Data from the same survey are used to explore further data. Findings – It was possible not only to find some evidence to support the hypotheses, but also to find significant differences between the preferences of seniors and non-seniors, as well as between pre-seniors and seniors. Thus, pre-seniors exhibit a higher willingness to pay for holiday rentals than seniors, whereas seniors have a higher preference for domestic travel. Seniors are less interested in technology than other age groups. Originality/value – This paper reports on survey findings for a segment of the tourism market that has received practically no attention in the literature – the holiday rental market. The results pave the way for further investigations within this segment

Segmentation of the senior travel market by the means of travel motivations

The article reports on the segmentation of Swiss senior travellers on the basis of their travel motivation. Switzerland is considered a mature market which is why this country serves as a role model for future travel behaviour. In contrast to previous studies, which identified up to six clusters, the results reveal that in the case analysed there are three clusters. Two of them partially represent a life cycle concept: TIME HONOURED BON VIVANTS (phase 1; towards the end of a professional life), and GRIZZLED EXPLORERS (phase 2; from the start of a retired life). These two segments are complemented by RETRO TRAVELLERS, which incorporate many characteristics of the previous two but differentiate themselves in terms of education as well as professional positions

Customer, Value amongst Tourists: A conceptual Framework and a risk - adjusted Model

This study presents a theoretical analysis along with a conceptual framework that combines research findings in consumer behaviour, marketing and tourism. Services, in general, are perceived to be riskier than goods and tourism services, especially, have been considered as critical in tourist' perception of risk. Hitherto, little attention has been paid to the influence of perceived risk on customer value in tourism. Thus, a conceptual framework, developed with respect to perceived risk and customer value amongst tourists, is presented. Since the proposed model of customer value will have to be validated, propositions for future research are discussed