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CULTURAL BACKGROUND:CULTURAL BACKGROUND:DOES IT INFLUENCE MATURE TRAVELERSDOES IT INFLUENCE MATURE TRAVELERS
EVALUATION OF HOTEL ATTRIBUTES?EVALUATION OF HOTEL ATTRIBUTES?
Peter MastersPeter Masters
Hotel & Tourism StudiesHotel & Tourism Studies
Siam UniversitySiam University
ThailandThailand
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Age or Culture?
Do travellers needs and expectationschange as they get older?
Are the changes generic between
cultures?
DOES CULTURE HAVE AN IMPACT?
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Increasing Competition for Tourists
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Vietnam Is Expanding Economic Reliance on
Tourism
Developing Nations
Versus
ailand Has Significant Economic Reliance on Touris
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Allocation of Marketing Budget
Target Specific Sectors of In-Bound Tourists
To successfully market to any demographicsegment understand its importantexpectations and desires.
(Gustin & Weaver
1992)
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Growing proportion of older people in developednations.
Proportion of Population
aged 55 years and over
Japan Australia 24%USA 24%
United Kingdom 21%Europe 20%South Korea 19%
United Nations Population Division (UNDP) 2005
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METHOD
Asian & Western Mature Age Travelers [55 years & over]
Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok
Questionnaire ~ 35 hotel attributes
Translated ~ English to Japanese, Chinese, Korean
Sample Size ~ 245
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RESULTS
Respondents: n =245
Western Cultural Heritage59.18%
Asian Cultural Heritage40.82%
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Western Cultural Heritage
Australia & NZ 25%
North America 25%
Britain 23%
Germany 10%
Sweden 8%
Other European 9%
Participants Country of Residence n= 145
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Asian Cultural
HeritageParticipants Country of Residence n= 100
Malaysia 25%
Japan 18%
Thailand 14%
China (inc. Hong Kong) 14%
South Korea 12%
Singapore 11%
Taiwan 6%
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CleanlinessLocationWell-lit public areas
Luggage handling availabilityFriendliness of staffMultilingualism of staff
Airport transportationComfort of bedStreet noise or other
Attributes Considered Most Important
Western and Asian Mature Travellers
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Swimming pool
Staff who can explain menu indetail
24 hour room service
Special dietary menusCoffee & tea making facilities inroom
Signs and information (in foodoutlets)
Early dining hoursGym
Aimed specifically at mature age
Attributes Considered Least Important
Western and Asian Mature Travellers
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Concierge service
tributes Considered More Importan Asian Group
sian participants prefer greater personalized servic
ofstedes (1980, 1991) cultural dimension: Power DistancMalaysia (25%) Asian participants & Power Distance
95%
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ural Background May Have Less Influence than Other Fact
Non-smoking bedrooms
Parental Tobacco UseAdvertising and the MediaAccess to and Cost of Tobacco
Anti-smoking CampaignsEducationSmoke-Free EnvironmentsSupport For Those Attempting to Quit.
tributes Considered More ImportanWestern Group
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Summary
Mature travelers are quite consistent
Irrespective of cultural background
Important Hotel Attributes
Focus on understanding mature travelers
Importance of specific cultural issues
raining of hotel and tourism staff
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Future Research
estionnaires completed in participants home coun
cal branch meetings- societies of mature people in BritainCallan & Bowma
nior Koreans attending community centres in Seoul Lee & Tideswell (2005)
nd questionnaires to members of National Seniors Association in AustraliaRuys & Wei (1998)
More relaxing environment Spend time considering theirresponses
