Motivation for Pleasure

Motivation for PleasureTravel9LEARNING OBJECTIVESAdopt a professional approach to motivation and recognize differences in other people’s motives.Appreciate the range of ideas on travel motivation.Be aware of contemporary research practices in tourism that integrate motive and feature destination assessments.Be familiar with conceptual approaches to tourism motivation and recognize there is continual development and enhancement of ideas in this field.IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTIONS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORY TO THE UNDERSTANDING OF TRAVEL MOTIVATIONThe study of all types of human motivation is a part of Psychological Theory of human personality—or what makes people different.A summary of some major theories in psychology that deal with motivation is given in Table 9.1.In particular, such motives are personal control, love, sex, competence, acceptance, self- development, respect, curiosity, security, understanding, and self-actualization have been identified as being relevant.MORE SPECIFIC MARKET RESEARCH QUESTIONS ARE REFLECTED IN STUDIES OF “TRAVEL BENEFITS”e.g. Loker & Perdue (1992) study of visitors to North Carolina identified six major “Benefit Segments” of Holiday Traveling:Excitement & escape segmentPure adrenaline/excitement segmentFamily & friends-oriented segmentNaturalists (those who enjoyed natural surroundings)Segment that emphasized the value of escape itselfAn “All Benefits” segmentTRAVEL SURVEY QUESTIONS PROVIDE INSIGHTS INTO NATURE OF TRAVEL MOTIVATIONBasic passport questions seek to identify major purposes of travel:BusinessLeisure/vacation to visit friends & relatives (VFR)Conventions/meetings“Other” reasonsREQUIREMENTS OF A SOUND THEORY OF TOURIST MOTIVATIONRole of the theoryOwnership and appeal of the theoryEase of communicationAbility to measure travel motivationMulti-motive versus single trait approachDynamic versus snapshot approachRoles of extrinsic and intrinsic motivationTravelers tend to be more selective in their emphasis on travel motives with experienceSelf-esteem/development needsFulfillment needsRelationship needsSafety/security needsPhysiologicalOther-directedSelf-directedOther-directedSelf-directedSelf-directedOther-directedExternally orientedInternally orientedTravelers have multiple motives in their pattern of needs even though one category of needs may be more dominantNeed for self-actualizationNeed for flow experiencesNeed for statusNeed for respect and recognitionNeed for achievementNeed for self-developmentNeed for growthNeed for curiosity/mental stimulationNeed for mastery, control, competenceNeed for self-efficacyNeed to repeat intrinsically satisfying behaviorsNeed to reduce anxiety about othersNeed to affiliateNeed to give love, directionNeed to reduce anxietyNeed to predict and explain the worldNeed for securityNeed for escape, excitement, curiosityNeed for arousal, external excitement and stimulationNeed for sex, eating, drinkingNeed for relaxation (manage arousal level)A “spine” or “core” of needs for nearly all travelers seems to include relationships, curiosity, and relaxation© 2012 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.All Rights Reserved