Handbook of Tourist Behaviour

The behaviour of tourists - what their motivations are, what impact their behaviour has on the places they visit, the decisions they make - is a fundamental aspect in understanding the tourism industry as a whole. Contemporary Tourist Behaviour provides an in-depth examination of how and why tourists behave as they do, and how this is perceived by hosts and outside agencies, covering national characteristics of tourists from around the world, effects of everyday events and governmental and environmental factors, and tourists' consideration of sustainable principles. In today's highly competitive and global economy, understanding tourist behavior is imperative to success. Tourist behavior has become a cornerstone of any marketing strategy and action. Choosing, buying and consuming tourism/travel products and services includes a range of psycho-social processes and a number of personal and environmental influences that researchers and managers should take into account. This book provides an overview of such processes and influences and explains the basic concepts and theories that underlie tourist decision-making and behavior. It also incorporates a number of cases studies in order to aid readers to better appraise the application of those concepts and theories.