An exploration of tourist shopping

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to develop a conceptual model to better understand tourists' shopping by investigating factors that influence this consumption activity based on existing literature. Specifically, this study explored the influences of tourist’s trip activities, travel party, tourists' perceived value of destination environment and destination type, season of trips, trip type and mode of transportation on tourists' shopping expenditures. Also, this study investigated the effects of socio-demographic variables (age, education and income) on tourists’ shopping expenditures. Based on previous research in leisure/tourism and consumer studies on shopping, a conceptual framework of tourist shopping was proposed for this study. For the purpose of this study, the 2003-2004 nationwide Performance/Monitor of travel tracking system data collected by DK Shifflet and Associates (DKS & A) was utilized, and 39,410 U.S. domestic leisure trip cases were analyzed in this study. Tourist shopping was conceptualized as a three-dimensional representation of: individual traveler characteristics, trip characteristics, and the destination environment. The first dimension included respondents’ age and household income. The second dimension included trip activity type, trip party, season of trip, trip type and transportation mode. Finally, perceived value of destination and destination type were included in the third dimension. A multiple regression analysis was used to test the conceptual model. Results of the study supported that the individual traveler characteristics of age and household income are significant predictors of tourist shopping expenditures. Also, results showed that trip related characteristics of trip party, activity type, season of trip, trip type and transportation mode are significant predictors of tourist shopping expenditures. Finally, it was shown that the dimension of perceived value of destination and destination type are significant predictors of tourist shopping expenditures. Based on the findings, a high spender group profile was provided. Results also provide important conceptual and practical implications for further development of tourism shopping research.