Tourism information and pleasure motivation

Abstract

This paper focuses on motivational and emotional aspects of destination choice behavior. In a marketing context, a conceptual model using push, pull, and hedonic factors is developed for research on evaluations of destination attributes. In this context tourists are pushed by their emotional needs and pulled by the emotional benefits. Consequently, emotional and experiential needs are relevant in pleasure-seeking and choice behavior. From an information processing point of view, it is suggested that mental imagery is an anticipating and motivating force that mediates emotional experiences, evaluations, and behavioral intentions. The conceptual model is relevant for managers who want to know the affective and motivational reaction of customers to promotional stimuli.

Résumé

L’information du tourisme et la motivation du plaisir. Cet article discute des motivations et des émotions dans le comportement du choix de destination. Visant un contexte de marketing, un modèle théorique a été établi à la base de stimulation et d’encouragement ainsi que d’éléments hédoniques, afin d’étudier l’évaluation des attributs de destinations. Dans ce contexte affectif, les touristes sont stimulés par leurs besoins et encouragés par des bienfaits éventuels. Le besoin d’émotions et d’expériences est donc lié aux comportements de choix et d’hédonisme. Du point de vue de l’assimilation de l’information, on suggère que l’image mentale est une force motivante et anticipatoire qui modifie les expériences affectives, les évaluations et les intentions du comportement. Ce modèle est utile pour connaı̂tre les motivations et les réactions que produisent les stimulus publicitaires.

Introduction

According to Crompton (1979), most discussions of tourism motivation have tended to revolve around the concepts of “pull” and “push”. The latter factors for a vacation are sociopsychological motives, the former, motives aroused by the destination that do not come from tourists themselves. Traditionally, push motives have been useful for explaining the desire to go on a vacation, while pull motives have usefully explained the choice of destination. From a marketing communication point of view, for example, it is understandable that researchers focus attention on the pull factors of tourist behavior, since they represent the specific attractions of the destination which induce travel there once the decision has been made (Dann 1981). But what about the pleasure-seeking and emotional aspects of tourist motivation?

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that research on pleasure motivation in particular should explore the relationship between push and pull factors. Of course, this is not a new idea, though most researchers do not consider both factors as a single integrated concept in their theoretical models and empirical studies. But more exactly, the push and pull factors of tourist behavior are two sides of the same motivational coin. The psychological factor that connects both sides is the concept of emotion. From this perspective, consumers, and in particular tourists, are pushed by their (emotional) needs and pulled by the (emotional) benefits of leisure services and destinations. Consequently, emotional and experiential needs are relevant in pleasure-seeking and choice behavior. In this approach, leisure is a positive and subjective experience accompanied by satisfying and pleasurable moods, emotions, and feelings (Mannell 1980:77). In particular, experiential processes, such as imagining, daydreams, emotions, and desires, play an important role in hedonic consumption (Hirshman and Holbrook 1982). In this context, it is reasonable to assume that when consumers imagine touristic behavior, for example, they direct their attention to desirable feelings and leisure experiences. Emotions and feelings about destination attributes probably motivate tourists to plan a trip. In short, if marketers want a full understanding of the motivational mechanism that triggers the destination choice process, these factors have to be incorporated in models. In addition to this research approach, this paper will discuss the role of motivation in a tourism marketing context. Subsequently, a conceptual model is presented to stimulate consumer research on the effect of promotional stimuli on involvement, modes of information processing, hedonic responses, behavioral intentions, and choice processes.