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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