Answer to Question #266449 in Management for Shusha

Question

Using practical examples, discuss any five social, personal, psychological and cultural factors affecting the demand of airline and tourism services in Africa

Answer 1

There are many factor that influence the running of the tourism industry. Some show immediate effect while, there are also factors which affect in the long run.

Environment at Destination

Tourism is in its best form when the destination boasts of conducive climate. In contrast, any undesired changes in the environment such as high winds, flash floods, drought, and extreme climate can affect tourism adversely.

For example, during harsh summer months in India, people prefer to travel to colder climate regions like hill stations.

Economy of the Country

When a country is undergoing economic turbulence and when people are facing unemployment issues, tourism is affected adversely. On the contrary, when a country’s economy is doing well and people can afford to spend money on leisure, tourism progresses.

Historical or Cultural Importance of Destination

The place or destination of travel affects the tourism business to a great extent. If the destination is of great historical or cultural significance then tourists will certainly like to visit the place for seeing monuments, castles, forts, ancient architecture, sculptures, caves, antic paintings and utensils, clothes, weapons, ornaments, and other allied heritage.

For example, the world famous places of historical and cultural importance are Taj Mahal (India), Pyramids of Gaza (Egypt),Began City (Burma), Acropolis (Athens, Greece).

Research Importance of Destination

There are tourists who visit places with the objective of studies and exploration. Need for research promotes tourism. Archeologists, Geologists, Oceanographers, Biologists and Zoologists, Architects, and People researching Arts and Cultures seek places that have great significance in the field of research.

Religious Importance of Destination

The places of religious importance or worship are always flooded with tourists. At these places, tourism is at its peak at particular time periods in a year. The tourists often go on pilgrimage to find inner peace and invoke blessings of the deities they worship and to cleanse their sins before death. For example, Mecca, Bethlehem, Kashi.

Technology

Internet has penetrated to almost every corner of the world. Tourists are enjoying the benefits of Internet. While planning a tour, the tourists try to get the idea about the places they are going to visit, the quality of amenities and services, and the attractions at the destination. After visiting a destination, the experienced tourists share their opinions on various platforms of the Internet.

Thus, the reviews of experienced tourists shared on the internet work as guidelines for the following tourists. Hence, just like a double-edged sword, the Internet can boost as well as bring down the tourism business.

Internal Factors of Motivation

Internal factors arouse, direct, and integrate a person’s behavior and influence his decisions for travelling.

• Intrinsic Motivation − For many people, tourism is a way of satisfying their psychological needs such as travelling, performing leisure activities, exploring novelty and capabilities, self-expression and self-assurance, creativity, competition, need for relaxation, and belongingness. The intrinsic motivations pertain to assuring one’s capabilities on different emotional fronts. Intrinsic motivation drives the tourists to opt for tourism for intangible rewards such as fun, assurance, and other emotional needs. The other intrinsic factors of motivation are
• Attitudes of Tourist − Knowledge of a person, place, or object + Positive or negative feelings about the same.
• Tourist’s Perception − By observing, listening, or getting knowledge, a tourist forms the perception about a place, person, or an object.
• Values or Beliefs − A tourist believes or values a specific mode of conduct which is acceptable personally or socially.
• Personality of the Tourist − The nature and physique of a tourist plays an important role towards motivation in tourism.

External Factors of Motivation

There are external motives in tourism that can influence tourists and pull them towards a certain motivation and subsequent decision.

• Extrinsic Motivation − Here, a tourist gets motivated by external factors such as money and the need to feel competent on the scale of expenditure and performance.
• Place of Origin − The grooming of the tourist depends upon the place of its origin. For example, for the Indian married women, the tourism might come last in the list of preferential things they wish to do whereas for American ladies, tourism would acquire much higher rank.
• Family and Age − The family matters when it comes to the structure and the income. Today, the families with nuclear structure and double income tend to opt for long distance, extravagant tourism more than joint families or families with single earning member who are interested in visiting domestic places. The tourists also have different preferences of places according to their age. For example, tourists in the age group of 5 to 45 years might enjoy visiting destination in the USA such as Disneyland more than the senior citizens.
• Culture or Social Class − Tourists of different cultures prefer different places, events, and different types of tourism. In addition, if friends and families who have visited a place earlier spread the first hand information that motivates the others to visit the place too.
• Market − Ever-changing market variables alter tourism. Changes in value of currency, political situations, and economic well-being of the country influence the decisions of a tourist.