Exploring strategies to market SMEs’ activities: the role of personality traits and travel motivations in tourist activities

Moisa, Delia ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-9365-7893 , Parapanos, Demos ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8720-3334 and Heap, Tim (2024) Exploring strategies to market SMEs’ activities: the role of personality traits and travel motivations in tourist activities. Tourism and Hospitality, 5 (4). pp. 1042-1064.

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Abstract

Traditionally, professionals in the tourism sector have been encouraged to segment their market based on socio-demographic variables. However, the multifaceted nature of tourist activity calls for consideration of psychological factors to effectively shape marketing strategies. This study aims to provide insights for tourism industry practitioners by investigating the roles of tourists’ personalities and travel motivations in shaping their activities and their commitment to sustainability in Cumbria, home to UNESCO World Heritage Sites like the Lake District National Park and Hadrian’s Wall. Data were collected using quantitative methods to identify correlations between personality traits, travel motivations, and tourist activities. Additionally, a qualitative focus group with SME representatives from Cumbria provided insights into their understanding of the model. The findings provide significant insights into how the relationships between personality traits, travel motivations, and tourist activities can benefit tourism SMEs. By comprehending tourists’ behaviour, SMEs can tailor their offerings to appeal to the right audience, mitigating the adverse effects of overtourism, and therefore do more than allude to the concept of sustainability. Using these insights, SMEs could make informed decisions and create more effective marketing strategies, fostering sustainable practices that benefit both their customers and the long-term viability of their businesses and the destination.

Item Type:	Article
Journal / Publication Title:	Tourism and Hospitality
Publisher:	MDPI
ISSN:	2673-5768
Departments:	Institute of Business, Industry and Leadership > Business
Additional Information:	This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Depositing User:	Anna Lupton
Date Deposited:	15 Oct 2024 08:32
Last Modified:	04 Nov 2024 10:30
URI:	https://insight.cumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/8447

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