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Cultural and other influences on travel decision-making A Case Study
Cultural and other influences on travel decision-making: A Case Study
2222THS – Hotel Distribution and Sales
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Lecturer: Darren Crawford
Due Date: 28/01/22
Introduction
Tourism is regarded as among the most important sources of job creation, income, and cultural support. Travel and tourism are critical to the success of other businesses such as hospitality and transportation. Tourism encourages international investment, commercial possibilities, and corporate, municipal, and governmental infrastructure improvements (Marder et al., 2021). The purpose of this study is to look at the impact of culture on tourist decision-making in America. It aims to explore the impact of cultural elements on local visitors’ vacation destination choices in the United States. The decision-making process of a tourist is impacted by a variety of elements, including personality, lifestyle, socioeconomic level, and culture. Cultural diversity cannot be ignored, but knowing what and how visitors’ desires and willingness, and also their conduct, affects the performance of tourism infrastructure, both domestic and international, is critical (Seabra et al., 2020). The research study is structured to meet the objectives that include gaining an understanding of how culture influences travel consumer behaviour for an American. The first section will provide a personal profile of the interviewee, including socio-cultural influences and individual influences. A comparison will then be made with people from the American culture in general. There will be a section recommending holiday to Australia and promotional tactic appropriate for the same.
Profile of person
Socio-cultural influences
Tourism, by its very nature, is bringing people from different cultures and backgrounds together for a brief period of time in order to connect with individuals from other cultures and backgrounds (Jordan et al., 2018). As a result, tourism has a socio-cultural impact on the average American visitor to some extent. As a consequence of tourism, it has an impact on the everyday lives of people who live in tourist destinations, as well as cultural ramifications that are linked to changes in traditional values, norms, and identities that arise as a result of tourism. Social and cultural consequences of tourism are defined as those that have an impact on the daily lives of residents of tourist destinations, as well as on the daily lives of residents of tourist destinations as a result of visitors’ presence in such places. People differ in many ways, including their language skills, religious views, traditions and cultures, way of life, behavioural patterns, clothing norms, sense of time, financial resources, and attitudes toward strangers, to mention a few (Jovanović et al., 2019). Language is one area where the interviewee observes variances. When it comes to domestic tourism, it is likely that the distinctions between domestic and international tourism are little, but the disparities might be considerable when it comes to foreign tourists.
For the interviewee, sociocultural impacts of tourism are vast. They include the living condition, local culture, and the lifestyle of residents. There are a number of notable factors in these sections, including increased variety in recreational activities and facilities, improved public infrastructure, better and more varied clothing and food, faster transportation, higher revenues and more employment opportunities, improved educational quality, and a higher quality of the urban environment, among others. Also ranking high were the improvement in a region’s image and the resuscitation of local cultural events, both of which the respondent finds to be positive developments. Improvements in the overall quality of life, a reduction in the influx of people from rural to urban areas, the expansion of youth exchange programs, and the expansion of events and recreational activities available to local residents are all sociocultural aspects that the interviewee takes into consideration during the destination decision-making process. Further, as a native of the United States, the interviewee also emphasizes the importance of views of and attitudes toward tourism and visitors as foreigners in any location as being tied to and impacting destination decision-making. Other essential considerations include social characteristics such as rent, crime and national pride, legal position on gambling and prostitution, other forms of sexual behaviour and their interpretations, accessibility, and moral ideals.
Individual influences
The personal profile of the participant shows that there are several significant aspects that he must take into consideration when choosing a location and looking for something that meets his expectations. For the interviewee, choosing travel destinations is a negotiation between the characteristics of the tourist and the characteristics of the tourism destination in which he wants to travel. The intangible characteristics of a location, such as information and photographs, are sought up by the individual interviewer through social networking sites and destination information channels, among other places. A high degree of quality in the material on a website has the potential to dramatically affect his decision-making processes and destination selection when he visits a tourism destination website. However, depending on whether or not it is necessary to evacuate during a pandemic, the objective of the voyage as well as the location chosen may be altered as a result of this determination. In most cases, the interviewee expresses that he picks his travel locations based on their appeal in normal circumstances. Depending on the conditions, the interviewee indicated that he only had a limited or no option of locations to choose from during the present epidemic. Individual differences important to the interviewee include the personal budget, timing, type of adventure or travel experience, travelling companion(s), the exchange rate to the dollar, whether visiting new or returning to a destination, vaccination requirements, visa details, language, infrastructure, recommendations by other travellers, and geopolitics.
The interviewee points out that he is subjected to a variety of environmental pressures, all of which have an impact on his purchasing decisions. Despite this, his consumer purchase processes continue to be heavily impacted by sociological, cultural, personal, and psychological considerations. He is particularly interested in the study of culture, subculture, and social class. It is comprised of the values, ideas, beliefs, symbols, and artifacts that have been formed within his American culture over time. Other essential elements include a comparison of the American community’s value systems, conventions, morals, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours, as well as art and other symbols that are shared by everyone in the community. The respondent went on to say that his consumer behaviour changes as a result of personal aspects such as his age and life cycle, occupation, economic conditions, lifestyle, personality, and self-concept. These considerations explain how his decisions change in response to changing circumstances in the field of tourism and travel.
Compare
Age, family status, and employment all influence decision-making. When compared to other American travellers, the interviewee’s age can be explained by anticipation and maturity. Over time, American visitors have become more health conscious and aware of their options. In terms of travel destinations, budgets, length of stay, and priorities, various age groups of Americans have varying preferences (Matikiti-Manyevere & Kruger, M2019). Youth travel frequently and choose active holidays in remote or less populated regions. They like summer vacations on a budget with a fun focus. Unlike older visitors who are more mature and concerned about their destination choices, younger tourists are motivated by cultural exploration and learning. Companies must establish an age-appropriate approach. Age affects one’s lifestyle, behaviour, and attitudes.
Recommendation to holiday in Australia
Australia offers a plethora of wonderful activities. It is recommended that an American encounters the Tasmanian devil. The Australian Tasmanian devil is the biggest surviving marsupial carnivore on the planet. It is a timid creature that is difficult to see in the wild. Visit Devils Cradle to see this endangered species. The site is a Tasmanian conservation refuge located at the entrance of Cradle Mountain National Park, which is inscribed on the World Heritage List. It is also recommended that the American native meets the residents of the Red Centre’s Uluu-Kata Tjua National Park for a deeper interaction with the First Nations.
Promotional Tactic
The interviewee is basically attracted to a destination based on how it is presented on social media and other online platforms. He is also keen on low-budget travel and on destinations that retain modernity. Culture and class are also important to the interviewee. As such, an online and social media sales promotion tactic would be better placed for his travel needs. Social media has affected our perspective on the world. But it’s rare that it has such a large influence on marketing. Tourism is one. First, one of “The Big Three” social networking networks’ most popular themes is travel (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram). Traveling allows people to meet new people and share fresh experiences. We also like to post about our forthcoming adventures and then reflect on them.
Historically, word-of-mouth marketing was the most effective. A friend’s suggestion or review on social media may inspire individuals to plan their own amazing vacation (Gumpo et al., 2020). Today, social media may be a source of adventure, thrills, or fun and relaxation. Tourism and social media marketing do not have to seem like ads (Matikiti-Manyevere & Kruger, 2019). The latter lets consumers to share photographs and videos of their own experiences and help their networks fall in love with your business.
Vacations are now planned differently than in the past. They not only conduct much of their research online, but they also frequently ask questions on social media. While TripAdvisor is not the finest social media site, it is nonetheless a social network with millions of unique users/visitors similar to leading social platforms like Facebook (Jovanović et al., 2019). They use typical social networks to arrange future trips. It’s never been simpler to capture memories on the road with cell phones and high-resolution cameras. Many individuals like posting trip images and videos online. They’re popular on the big social networks that are more likely to influence others to travel.
It is proposed that Facebook and Instagram would be utilized as tourist guides and to assist the traveller locate things to do. Also, in addressing when the traveller has not yet determined where they want to go on vacation, social media may serve as a terrific source of inspiration. Also, Facebook’s recommendations function enables users to ask friends for references. Users use social media to gain comments on hotels, travel gear, and destinations. Overall, it’s better to stay on Facebook and search for information there than elsewhere. As a result, many people seek aid on Facebook from their friends before seeking help from other sources.
Conclusion
All over the world, there are numerous tourist attractions, and each one of them is seeking to attract tourists by providing them with a varied choice of products and services to choose from. This gives passengers the choice of selecting a destination that matches their interests and offers them with additional reason to come to that location. The use of social media has altered our consuming patterns, and it has had an influence on practically every part of our everyday lives as a result. Companies have benefited significantly from technology improvements, particularly because they have made it possible to use new marketing methods. Tourist arrivals and departures, which are among the most dynamic sectors of the world economy, are unquestionably influenced by each and every one of these elements. Utilizing social media in conjunction with tourism marketing will provide impressive results. This is especially true for a typical American tourist looking for similarities with the American culture, adventure, and a connection with their travel destination via social media and online platforms.
References
Gumpo, C. I., Madinga, N. W., Maziriri, E. T., & Chuchu, T. (2020). Examining the usage of Instagram as a source of information for young consumers when determining tourist destinations. South African Journal of Information Management, 22(1), 1-11.
Jordan, E. J., Bynum Boley, B., Knollenberg, W., & Kline, C. (2018). Predictors of intention to travel to Cuba across three time horizons: An application of the theory of planned behavior. Journal of Travel Research, 57(7), 981-993.
Jovanović, T., Božić, S., Bodroža, B., & Stankov, U. (2019). Influence of users’ psychosocial traits on Facebook travel–related behavior patterns. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 25(2), 252-263.
Marder, B., Erz, A., Angell, R., & Plangger, K. (2021). The role of photograph aesthetics on online review sites: Effects of management-versus traveler-generated photos on tourists’ decision making. Journal of Travel Research, 60(1), 31-46.
Matikiti-Manyevere, R., & Kruger, M. (2019). The role of social media sites in trip planning and destination decision-making processes. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 8(5), 1-10.
Seabra, C., Reis, P., & Abrantes, J. L. (2020). The influence of terrorism in tourism arrivals: A longitudinal approach in a Mediterranean country. Annals of Tourism Research, 80, 102811.
Ethnography as Work
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ETHNOGRAPHY AS WORK
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Ethnography as Work
Basic Argument
Ethnography can be primarily defined as the methodologies and analyses of social research (Moeran 2006, 17). It has distinctive features best of which are its written products and pragmatic orientations. The paper covers constitutive and overlapping ethnography tasks as a response to Tony Watson’s Essay.
Tony Watson’s illuminating remarks are very much similar to the ideologies and ode to ethnography that I behold. The orientation of the writing practices of the field and his commentary on the neglect of pragmatism as angled in his works bear great relevance.
The other very significant feature of Tony’s work is the application formulas to encourage more participants to take up ethnographic craft to fully comprehend management of organizations.
However, Tony’s essay bears a tremendous shortfall with the notion that practicing ethnography by individuals aspiring to venture in the field should not cover experiences of organizations. As if and yet, the essay further deduces that ethnographers should mainstream.
In a generalized perception toward ethnography, I handle the matters that succinctly define the features of Tony Watson’s essay with an inclusion of all contexts in a broader sense. Objectively, my essay constitutes ethnography with the social dynamics and serves as a recreation of the field (Moeran 2006, 24).
Founded on institutionalized, strategic but in a larger dimension pragmatic rules, the essay defines fieldwork as distinctive scholarly work. It also stipulates the challenges that ethnographers must bear in the procedurals of developing an ethnographic report and even its reception. The other features of the essay is the two Counterpoints with one in support of the venerable notion and the other offering advocacy for the outsider role.
The essay is an appraisal of the history and the engagement of ethnography in the studies of organizations and management of such (Moeran 2006, 29).
Philosophical Positioning
On Fieldwork;
The primary involvement of ethnography as a social practice is inclusive of the comprehension of culture and activities pertaining to such. The practice of ethnography is very hands on with direct involvement and participation of the researcher in grounds activities (Moeran 2006, 34).
The first-hand gathering of information involves direct observation and understanding of the study. That aspect of the subject makes it a fieldwork, with little left to the comfort of office and classroom situations.
The biographical and contextual variation in fieldwork practices as pointed by Tony does not show the virtual aspect of lengthy participant observation. Evolution of the fieldwork is an intuition of the vulnerability that a researcher should bear in the course of the study. A chorused agreement is created between Tony and me about the misunderstanding of continued voluntary venture into such a field that derails individuals’ dignity.
Tony’s response to that factor as the dire need to gain primary information by direct participation is high but inadequate. To meet that shortfall, the need is coupled with an attempt to decipher the cultural practices that are employed by the study population (Moeran 2006, 38).
On Headwork;
Headwork is the conceptual development and representational practices that guide a researcher toward the realization of objectives. Ethnography’s focus on the experimental has generated poor reception to generalized and abstract immersions. Pragmatists who favor fallibilism and theoretical pluralism in the approach to comprehension of human activities bear great relevance in this aspect.
Significantly, the headwork is an involvement in the creation and development of theories and concepts for research. There is the importance for the application of the social theory. Choice of the theory is very much influenced by its applicability (Moeran 2006, 45).
On Textwork;
The high demand and intensity of labor input into ethnography that is the representation of the work done by the personnel is thrown to waste unrecorded. The primary focus of an ethnographical research is to obtain a written report. Just like fieldwork, there are choices involved in fieldwork that should cohere with the presentation of the processes. Such options may include voice, interpretations or even use of imagery.
Tony’s attempt to conceptualize the use of voices of participants reduce the indignity of reporting that is very much favored by some ethnographers. Tale-telling burdens ethnography and reduces the locality in time and space. Epistemological hypochondria also derails the development of the field (Moeran 2006, 53).
The applicability of Tony’s examination of the processes of organization and management is, therefore, set to durable. However, its application to topical variation, methodological imagination and diversity of styles should have room for self-conscious selection of genres by ethnographers. As such, defense, combination and blend are made easier for the researcher (Moeran 2006, 56).
On the Native’s Point of View;
The need to decipher the perspectives be held by others in the quest to comprehend their culture and their environment should not be compromised by limitations of sharing the same environs. A full-scale understanding of the whole issue involves the psychic interpretation. Though the valuation of experiences may be different, the scale of involvement enlightens the ethnographer to greater depths (Moeran 2006, 61).
This ‘penetration’ of subjectivity that creates as much similarity as differences with the subjects is not examined by Tony. Actions of the subjects are thus not easier to come to terms with. In a sense, Tony goes back on his validation and contradicts himself.
On Mainstreaming;
Ethnography’s objective is to simplify the understanding of circumstances and are met by curiosity from the parties involved. Without a detailed conceptualized understanding of the field of study, an ethnographic report would be baseless (Moeran 2006, 88).
Tony’s proposal on mainstreaming is a threat to the practices of the field. The purpose of ethnography is not to achieve academic ovation but to create an insight into the culture around us. In no way should it be reduced to creation and comprehension of lab works (Moeran 2006, 90).
Strengths if the Approach
The approach gives a detailed comprehension of every aspect of a culture. It poles ethnography to examine every aspect of research and sieve the relevant from the irrelevant. The direct involvement gives credence to the creation of a report that is self-explanatory and explicit enough to widen the dimensions into the particular field of study (Moeran 2006, 95).
Applications of the derivatives of this report compels an ethnographer to live out the true meaning of the creed of ethnography. That is because it beats the misconceptions and reestablishes the morals of ethnography (Moeran 2006, 99).
Limitations of the Approach
Ethnography is labor intensive and very demanding. The patience involved in comprehension of the culture, selection of choices and even creation of an ethnographic report is in itself time-consuming. Following every aspect of this approach would serve to pile more burden upon an ethnographer. Examination of every aspect, even the most obvious, eats up on time.
The procedurals do not just slow down the whole process, but they come with financial strain as the durable involvement in a society so to thoroughly understand them would require more finances.
Reference List
MOERAN, B. (2006). Ethnography at work. Oxford [u.a.], Berg.
Ethnographic study
Ethnographic study
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Professor
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The ethnographic study
The ethnographic study took place in an Indian Vegetarian Restaurant called Tulsi.
It is adjacent to Bradford Gallery and located in Bradford city. Culture “globalization and production of globalization theories relate to the ethnographic study in relation to the restaurant. The ethnographic study of the Tulsi Restaurant touches on various elements of production globalization and culture. The method of participant used for the observation is called Verstehen and helps in understanding the social phenomena.
Ethnographic study
The restaurant names comes from a sacred plant in India called Tulsi, which is evident establishes it’s connection with Indian traditions. I visited the restaurant in the evening on a weekday. While entering the restaurant, I saw a conspicuous waiting area with an Indian middle-aged woman sitted on one of the sofas reading a magazine. This was different from many restaurants, which main objective was to maximize the use of the waiting area; the existence of a comfortable waiting room depicted the attention given by the owners to the hospitality Indian culture (Begg &Ward, 2007). The beautiful stools with subtle Indian motifs carvings, little pink cushions as well as a little decoration plants near the window provided a grand look interior. The main dining hall theme Tulsi color with pink and green repeated all through the restaurant interior. There were designs, which were oval and pink in shape on the ceiling with Tulsi handsome vegetables and plants pictures on the wall (Hofstede, 2008).
At the same time, the thematic color repetition gave a colossal appearance to the interior and highlighted its function as a major vegetarian restaurant. I sat at the far end of the restaurant to have a complete and isolated outlook of the restaurant. It was capacious with more than 50 tables and around 100 seats. There was also a formal gathering of thirteen local British at the centre of the dining Hall. Apart from them, there were two Indian men taking their dinner one table away from me. A few minutes later, several customers started trooping into the restaurant to have a taste of the Indian vegetarian food’s customers were from different countries such as China, Africa, India, Great Britain, and Pakistan (Begg &Ward, 2007). The menu had various of traditional Indian food listed with Northern and Southern Indian variations foods such as Dosa, samosa,Uttappam and Sambhar. There were also typical Chinese foods in the menu with Tulsi Drinks varieties such as of Lassi, which is an Indian traditional drink made from yoghurt. On the other hand there was flavored Lassi such as Mango Lassi offered which was not in other local Indian restaurants. Various alcoholic drinks like Tequila were also sold in the restaurant besides the Buffet items comprising of vegetables, Pulao, Daal and Achar.
The aroma and food taste was not different from the delicacies provided in other typical Indian restaurants. It was astonishing that some dishes like Pulao and vegetables seems to taste more delicious from those I had taken in India. I had the opportunity to meet the manager and introduced myself as a Bradford University student and he explained to me that the hotel owner was from India and had other stores in England with some food ingredients acquired from their individual stores (Begg &Ward, 2007). He also informed me that the employees of the restaurant came from different countries in the world in that the main chef was from India, pot washer came Afghanistan with the kitchen helpers from Pakistan as majority of the waiters were Indians from Pakistani who were Bradford University students(Hofstede, 2008).
Culture
Culture is an intricate concept, which comprise of morals, customs, law, knowledge, art and beliefs with other capabilities acquired by a person from the society. Culture comprise of beliefs, values and norms expected from specific group members. Globalization seems to have an immense effect on these ever-changing cultural values. A considerable growth in the cultural goods exchange such as televisions, movies, radio, cinemas, music, photography, printed matter and music seems to be the catalyst to the entre process of cultural diffusion (Begg &Ward, 2007). Nevertheless, some experts view it as pessimistic as they believe that material wealth often comes with high spiritual coupled with cultural cost with others terming globalization as a fuel to global destruction. Some author’s argument is that monolithic, materialist, secularist, and homogenization of cultures jeopardize the special values (Hofstede, 2008). On the other hand, pro-globalization writers have a belief that globalization can result to a general understanding of various cultures, which leads to a worldwide cultural and political agreement. They have found a paradoxical relation in globalization and culture in that global forces create and support local cultures or identities by eliciting a creativity process.
Analysis
The ethnographic study depicts the various globalization facets evident in an Indian vegetarian restaurant. The location of the restaurant at the center of the city in Britain illustrates the notion of a more increasing and shrinking globalized world into a global village. The environment, music, food, tastes and presentation seems quite comparable to distinctive Indian restaurants (Hofstede, 2008). The study showed that the hotel clientele were from different parts of the globe such as Russia, Africa, Nepal, and China present in the restaurant to take pleasure in the Indian foods. The presence of individuals from varied backgrounds shows the rising interconnections as well as interdependencies of populace elicited by globalization (Begg &Ward, 2007). At the same time, the study showed that English language remained the major communication mode evident between the staff and the clients. Both men and women main dress code was jeans and T-shirts by men and women with the non-locals also clothed in jeans and not their local way of dressing.
Conclusion
The study concentrated on Globalization of Culture as evident in the Indian Vegetarian Restaurant and associated them with the present literature on the subject. The study shows solid evidence on globalization of culture in relation to the restaurant as supported by various authors. At the same time, the restaurant had an atmosphere of a characteristic Indian restaurant, which mainly served customers Indian food as well as customer-focused adaptation like alcoholics drinks provision to cater for the local customers needs. Customers were from diverse religious, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds mainly exploring Indian cuisine; individuals from different countries offered evidence on how the daily lives of people has been reshaped with the globalization phenomena. At the same time, the extent it has weakened the cultural boundaries among individuals by bringing people more closer. The unity in diversity aspect, which advocates for a common understanding on various cultures, is the core and most conspicuous globalization feature with support from various authors’ analysis on globalization. The restaurant was a microcosmic manifestation of the UK much talked about policy on multi-cultures’.
References
Begg, D. and Ward, D. (2007). ‘Economics for Business’. 2nd Ed. McGraw Hill Publications. P.321.Hofstede, G. (2008). ‘Cultures Consequences’, London: Sage.