Travel behaviour of tourists to a South African holiday resort

Abstract

Travel behaviour refers to the way in which tourists behave according to their attitudes before, during and after travelling. Knowledge regarding travel behaviour can assist in marketing, product planning and development which can increase the number of visitors to tourism products such as resorts. However, it was found that very little research has been conducted regarding the travel behaviour of tourists visiting South African resorts. The purpose of this study was to determine the travel behaviour and, more specifically, the travel motivations and factors influencing travel decision making of tourists visiting a resort. Quantitative research was conducted by means of the distribution of questionnaires. The results indicated that the main travel motivations are resting and relaxation, enriching and learning experiences, recreational activities, personal motivators and social experiences. It was clear that there are various similarities with studies done in other countries and in South Africa which indicate the existence of universal travel motivations. The most important factors influencing travel decision making were found to be management and hospitality aspects, destination attributes, site attractiveness and economic benefits. These results also indicated similarities with the findings of previous research studies. However, studies focusing on factors influencing travel decisions in South Africa are scarce and demand attention, especially with the growing domestic market. It is therefore clear from the results that tourism marketers are required to do research on a continuous basis to determine tourists‘ travel behaviour to different tourism products such as resorts. The results can be used as a focusing point of the marketing strategies.

Keywords: marketing, resorts, travel behaviour, travel decision making, travel motivation.