Project Management Plan for Restaurant
International Journal of Tourism Sciences, Volume 11, Number 1, pp. 75-94, 2011 Tourism Sciences Society of Korea. All rights reserved.
Monitoring Consumer Attitudes in Hospitality Services: a Market Segmentation
Vera Toepoel∗
Tilburg University
ABSTRACT : This research examines the development of a hospitality monitor in the Netherlands to map consumer attitudes and assist hospitality organizations in designing effective market strategies to attract, satisfy, and retain consumers. A factor analytic approach revealed that there were different consumer segments based on identified attitudes in the hospitality industry, developing their hospitality selection on different attributes of hospitality services. This requires specific marketing segment and management strategies. A repeated measure some six years later demonstrated the robustness of the identified consumer attitudes. The impact of the attitudes on consumer behaviour is demonstrated and areas of research are identified in which this hospitality monitor may better inform theory development and best practice. Keywords: Consumer behavior, Marketing, Attribute-value theory, Service quality
** Vera Toepoel is an assistant professor at Leisure Studies, Tilburg University, Netherlands. E-mail : V.Toepoel@uvt.nl
76
Vera Toepoel
Introduction
Consumer trends come and go, affecting the extent to which individuals appreciate certain aspects of hospitality services, and over time this can have significant implications for businesses in the hospitality industry. It is important for the sector to understand what the current trends in consumer behavior are, which consumer segments exist, and how consumer behavior will develop in the future. Verma, Plaschka, and Louvriere (2002) argue that it is imperative that businesses take into account consumer preferences when making decisions regarding product and service attributes. Understanding consumer choices is the key to successful management of
Monitoring Consumer Attitudes in Hospitality Services: a Market Segmentation
Vera Toepoel∗
Tilburg University
ABSTRACT : This research examines the development of a hospitality monitor in the Netherlands to map consumer attitudes and assist hospitality organizations in designing effective market strategies to attract, satisfy, and retain consumers. A factor analytic approach revealed that there were different consumer segments based on identified attitudes in the hospitality industry, developing their hospitality selection on different attributes of hospitality services. This requires specific marketing segment and management strategies. A repeated measure some six years later demonstrated the robustness of the identified consumer attitudes. The impact of the attitudes on consumer behaviour is demonstrated and areas of research are identified in which this hospitality monitor may better inform theory development and best practice. Keywords: Consumer behavior, Marketing, Attribute-value theory, Service quality
** Vera Toepoel is an assistant professor at Leisure Studies, Tilburg University, Netherlands. E-mail : V.Toepoel@uvt.nl
76
Vera Toepoel
Introduction
Consumer trends come and go, affecting the extent to which individuals appreciate certain aspects of hospitality services, and over time this can have significant implications for businesses in the hospitality industry. It is important for the sector to understand what the current trends in consumer behavior are, which consumer segments exist, and how consumer behavior will develop in the future. Verma, Plaschka, and Louvriere (2002) argue that it is imperative that businesses take into account consumer preferences when making decisions regarding product and service attributes. Understanding consumer choices is the key to successful management of