Abstract
Changes in the structure of consumers’ (tourists’) needs that shape tourism in accordance with the modern way of life attribute greater importance to different types of consumers/tourists. Understanding consumer behaviour (tourists as consumers) is significant in terms of tourism destination management. This paper presents the results of a research conducted with the aim of identifying activities (visiting cultural and historical attractions, sport and recreation, health, fun, gastronomy, shopping, cultural entertainment events) that consumers/tourists prefer in a tourist destination depending on their age and family structure. Two hypotheses were set in this paper: H1: There is a statistically significant difference between the age of tourists and the activity preferences in a tourist destination; and H2: There is a statistically significant difference between the family structure of tourists and the activity preferences in a tourist destination. The sample included 1117 respondents from the area of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina. A survey was conducted from January to March 2017. In accordance with the defined hypotheses, descriptive statistics and a statistical test of multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) were used.
Highlights
As defined in the research plan, the first hypothesis testing was enabled by applying a statistical test of multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA)
Modern tourism market is characterized by the increasing number of tourist destinations and a competitive battle for consumers/tourists
The possibility of substituting one tourist destination with another is very high and tourist destination managers are trying to diversify their offer by developing tourism products tailored to suit different segments of consumers/tourists
Summary
The changes are reflected in the increasing number of participants (tourists) in international tourism who, according to the official data of the World Tourism Organization, reached a total of 1322 million worldwide in 2017 (World Tourism Organization UNWTO). Over the past few decades the tourist industry has been regarded as the key driver of growth in national economies, in both developed and developing countries According to forecasts prepared by UNWTO, international arrivals are expected to continue to grow at a sustained rate of 4% to 5% worldwide in 2018. Qualitative changes in the behaviour of tourists are reflected in a more individualized approach to selecting destinations, the development of consciousness and frequent changes of destinations (Tomic, Lekovic, & Dakic, 2016). Tourists are no longer passive in accepting the standard facilities of tourism products (Parks & Steelman, 2008)
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