Factors influencing a tourist’s choice of destination

Factors influencing a tourist’s choice of destination

This article explores several factors influencing a tourist’s choice of destination. Booking a holiday is never as simple as just picking a location, buying a ticket, and going. Holidaymakers sometimes may not realise it, but a lot of thought goes into getting it right whether they are going abroad or taking advantage of a staycation. A lot of factors influence the ultimate choices that are made in coming up with the perfect experience. Some of them are outlined below:

Money

One of the first factors that goes into deciding a holiday is finance. Money can determine the outcome of everything. When booking a holiday, tourists have to plan for almost every eventuality from tickets, insurance, souvenirs, food to emergencies. Every once in a while, a tourist may decide to grab everything and go out into the wide world with as little as a backpack and a lot of gusto.

It is not surprising that many Americans visit Oklahoma City, Indianapolis, Tucson (Arizona), Memphis (Tennessee), Orlando (Florida), Louisville (Kentucky), Raleigh (North Carolina), San Antonio, Fort Worth, Texas, and Houston because of their reputation as the most affordable U.S. tourist destinations (Kiesnoski, 2021).

Amenities/facilities

Does the destination the tourists are planning on going to offer decent children’s activities? Are there any spa facilities available? Can they hike up the local elevated landscapes, or take advantage of the water sports? Even with a staycation, many tourists will look to see if their room or home has a touch of luxury. Something to give them a certain amount of indulgence!

According to VisitBritain (2021) many tourists look for activities such as walking and hiking. Likewise, the key priority for many others is having enough activities for the kids to do so that they can enjoy their stay.

Security

How safe is the accommodation? Tourists will be vigilant about security because they will have their documents with them, possibly extra cash, and medication in a country that they are probably not familiar with. Are they being taken advantage of financially? Are they being taken to their destination without being scammed?

However, staycations generally eliminate that level of need for security. When holidaymakers decide to stay within their own country for a break, then familiarity with language and local laws means that certain concessions can be made, even with security.

Recommendations

Friends and family love to share information about holidays and there is no end to the advice of having experienced something. Now with the multitude of social media for the average public, selecting a destination can either seem an easier prospect or one fraught with too many things to consider.

Location/Distance (Hotel, country, and weather)

At the end of the day, holidaymakers will either choose their dream destination, or that closest to their first choice. Locations can be determined by personal taste, the history of the place, the food, or the weather. Some factors to consider when looking for a staycation location could be convenience of travel, access to local shops and visitor attractions, and very possibly family and friends.

Past experience

People’s past experiences can sway the decision of future locations. Maybe they had a very bad experience and have decided not to try somewhere hot again? Maybe they loved the sports activities and are returning to a previous destination?

Language

Language may also affect a tourist’s destination choice. For example, some people would like to visit those destinations where their own language is spoken to extent so that they can communicate with the locals comfortably.

We hope the article ‘Factors influencing a tourist’s choice of destination’ has been useful. You may also like reading:

Positive and negative impacts of tourism

Factors affecting tourism demand

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Last update: 07 November 2021

References:

Kiesnoski, K. (2021) Looking to vacation for less? Here are the most, and least, affordable destinations in the U.S., available at: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/12/if-you-want-to-travel-for-less-head-for-these-affordable-us-cities.html (accessed 05 November 2021)

Visit Britain (2021) The decision-making process and booking behaviour, available at: https://www.visitbritain.org/decision-making-process-and-booking-behaviour (accessed 05 November 2021)

Author: Joe David

Joe David has years of teaching experience both in the UK and abroad. He writes regularly online on a variety of topics. He has a keen interest in business, hospitality, and tourism management. He holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Management Studies and a Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing Management.