This document summarizes research on how group influences affect consumer travel behavior. It finds that most people prefer to travel in groups rather than alone. It examines how factors like culture, class, gender, emotions and security concerns shape destination choices. The researchers conducted a questionnaire finding 91% would enjoy traveling with others. They recommend travel companies target specific segments like students, families and LGBT travelers through tailored packages that facilitate social connection online. Group influences are an opportunity to increase travel expenditures through sense of belonging.

1. Consumer Influences in
Travel Behavior
Presented by:
Yifu Fei
Jonathan Gervacio
Supranee George
Jen Iskierski
James Qing

2. Introduction
Formal Problem Statement:
 Applying group influence effectiveness to travel behavior.
 Examining shifts in the travel industry from individual
targeting, to group targeting strategies.
 Emerging markets are generating greater potential for
travel industry.

3. Applying Past Research to Travel
 Past travel consumption has been targeting on an
individual basis.
 Past psychology findings indicate that individuals find
comfort through others.
 Importance: distinctive subgroups self select on the
importance of shared commitment.
 Our Intention: to capitalize expenditures through group
dynamics through emerging market segments with great
potential in the traveling industry.

4. Outline
Traveling
Behavior
Global Social Economic
Environment Terrorism Influences Influences
Culture / Class / Limitations on
Religion Education / International Emotions Gender
Occupation Travel
Travel
Consumption
Decision

5. Issues Changing Traveling Behavior
 Environmental Changes
 Shifts in the Economy
 Global Terrorism
 Social Changes

6. Environmental Changes
 Slight increases in temperature
leading to shifts in vacationer
numbers for every destination.
 More severe number of violent
storms affecting the number of
non-enjoyable days.
 Outcome: The determined traveler will continue to
travel, but the destination choice will be modified.

7. Shifts in the Economy
 Higher cost of living
 Reduced disposable income
for recreation and travel.
 Rising cost of fuel, being
passed onto the consumers
through fuel surcharges.
 Outcome: The distance from where the traveler is
traveling from, to the destination will be closer. Causing
travelers to settle for closer destinations.

8. Global Terrorism
 Not affecting the amount
of people traveling as a whole.
 Affecting destination choices,
for places deemed by the
government too dangerous
to travel
 Media worrying the public,
just to sell a story.
 Outcome: Increased security due to terrorism, causing
delays and less efficiency for travelers.

9. Social Changes
 Current travel being more
individualistic.
 More promotion of traveling
as a family.
 Promotion of family travel as
beneficial for all members
of the family.
 Outcome: Education and understanding of other
cultures, specially by kids can be done through travel.

10. Family & Friend Influences in Travel
Consumption
 Highly influential & greater
conformity due to presence
of trust in group members.
 Children playing a more active
role in decision making process.
 Strong family ties educating children through travel creates a long
term memory and positive satisfaction.
 Strong affiliation with friends links positive feelings with travel
purchases.

11. Underlying Key Issues in Travel
Behind the key issues which have been discussed, there are underlying
Factors, which have great impact on consumer’s traveling behaviors.
Since people identify more internally with group identification, in our
research, we analyzed five segments:
 Culture / Religion
 Class/Education/Occupation
 Gender
 Emotion
 Limitation on international travel

12. Culture / Religion
Culture and religion have great
influence on individual
destination chosen.
Culture:
Individuals may feel more
comfortable in a place where
some similarities may be in
language, food, and culture.
Ex. Chinese travellers may prefer
traveling to a location in China, or
something similar (Chinatown).

13. Culture / Religion
Religion:
Religions are often the ideals in which a person lives
life. Through these ideals decisions are made in accordance
of the teaching of the religion being followed.
Ex. According to Islam,
Muslims are to at least
travel once to Mecca
in their lifetime.

14. Class/Education/Occupation
When associating status, image, and class on destination choices, we
Must look at how our society is driven to maintain the portrayal of being
a certain class or even a higher class than in actuality.
 People in western societies are especially image conscious on how
others view them and take the measures to try and project their
ideal self with their real self. This may effect on the type of vacation,
length of duration, and method of travel.
Ex. Private Jet VS Grey hound
$10,000 per night exclusive package VS budget traveling

15.  Ever since the beginning of human travel, knowledge has been
associated with the number and types of destinations one travels to.
Ex. Traveling to Egypt to explore the pyramids of Gyza versus
traveling to Atlantic City to gamble
 With the increase of global trading, business travel has already
become a large segment of traveling markets. Since the use of low-
cost carriers and better-designed planes with large capacity over
this few years, it incurs a huge demand of business travel.

16. Gender
We take look at Gender from two aspects.

With women becoming a more important part of the workforce,
Women have more purchasing power, thus made their opinions
more influential on either travel location choosing, or travel
expenditure.

Another aspect is just being noticed recently ---- gender based trips.
Industry research indicates that today, 8 million gender-based group
trips occur annually, and it bring $40-billion-a-year in hotel industry
(Brian Harrington, 2007).

17. Emotions
Emotions are the fuel in determining how we feel about
the products that we choose to purchase
 Traveling is something that many people hold near and dear to their
inner selves. Therefore, traveling causes an emotional attachment.
 Consumers think less logically about their purchase when they are
emotionally attached.
 “Groupthink” once in a group consumer likely change their
emotions and thought patters to adhere to .

18. Limitation on International Travel
Because of the safety issues and the globe of Terrorism expansion,
most countries increase their security level. The government
regulations regarding the safety, have great influence on international
travel.
Ex. Due to a relative easier policy on
issuing tourist Visas, the number
of tourists traveling to Canada is
increasing fifty times faster than
the United States.

19. Research Findings
 Group Questionnaire: 2 extremes
1.) Individuals who prefer to travel alone & no identification
with groups
2.) Individuals who enjoy traveling within a group and
consider themselves as part of a subgroup
 91% would have a better time traveling with
others.
 Travel agencies are seeking to undertake anyone
and everyone. This strategy makes it difficult to
target any specific segment.

20. Concluding Remarks
 More people prefer group travel over solo, thus creating
opportunity in travel market.
 More people = More $$$
 Group travel creates a longer lasting recall of excursions
due to group affiliation & sense of belongingness.
 Group influence will lead to less concern about price.

21. Recommendations for Managers
 Expand on student programs
 Create more inclusive
tailored packages for segments
 Family travel needs to promote
children as a significant segment
to target.
 Online booking should incorporate
chat rooms and message boards to seek more info.
 Gay / Lesbian travel segment
 Senior travel segment –Baby boomers

22. Questions?

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