According to Cooper et al. (2008: 56), consumer
behaviour models are designed to attempt to ensure an overall representation of
the consumer behaviour process and to identify the key element of the process
and their interrelationships. On the other hand, the understanding of the
specific reasons for which consumers prefer particular properties and service
in the market also requires the understanding of the mechanisms that encourage
them to purchase them. Therefore, marketing managers of tourism companies need
to monitor and find out consumer behaviours (İçöz 2001: 75).
Similarly, any tourism company has to develop mixed
marketing strategies that could satisfy the consumers due to the powerful
influence of consumer reaction on the success of a firm. Marketers who know the
factors that influence the consumer behaviours can estimate how a consumer will
react to their marketing decisions (Cemalcılar, 1995: 41).
Today it is well established that internet and social
media have profound impact on the consumer behaviours. Social platforms have
the power to make a change in consumers’ decision-making process and this
factor seems to be hard to take under control (Constantinides and Stagno, 2011:
10).
According to Durukan,
Bozacı and Hamsioğlu (2012) there are three categories of consumer behaviours
regarding purchase behaviours through social media. These categories include:
-
Behaviours regarding consumption influenced by
others (understanding friends’ opinions)
-
Behaviours influencing consumption (opinion leadership,
positive or negative interaction through words of mouth)
-
Social media as a means of expressing
dissatisfaction arising from the companies especially in the stage of
purchase
1.6. Consumer Buying Decision Process in Tourism
There have appeared a number of factors including
rises in income, increasing spare time, developing facilities, higher
educational level and facilitation in the flow of information which have begun
to change the holiday conceptions. An increase in the options for holiday, diversity
of destinations in the country, and increasing variety in the types of holidays
have created more and more options than anticipated for potential tourists
(Aydınoğlu, 2009: 31). In this sense the
decision-making process is going through a tough analysis of choices
considering all these options according to what they want.
1.6.1. The Stages of Buying Decision Process
The realization of consumer satisfaction is
interlinked to whether their expectations have been met. The level of
satisfaction plays a key role in the decision-making of purchase. Consumer
satisfaction commences before the actual purchase and is ensured long after it
through a variety of activities. In this
sense, decision making for purchase is composed of five stages (Şimşek, 1990:
48). These are needs analysis (recognition of needs), information research,
evaluating alternatives, buying decision, and post- purchase behaviours.
buying and continues long after the act of
buying. Though this process is valid each buying decision, there are also
purchases that that do not go through such a process. For example, in a bar, an
intention to buy a bottle of beer leads one to buying it immediately without
considering the stages discussed above. So a consumer does not feel the need to
follow these procedures, which is called automatic response system (Kotler, et
al. 1999: 201).
1.6.1.1. Need Recognition
The first stage of buying decision commences with
identifying a problem and feel the need to do purchase. A buyer distinguishes
his/her actual state and the state in which s/he would like to be. The need is
activated by an inner stimulus. Considering his or her previous buying experiences,
the buyer feels motivated to buy the property or service that s/he thinks will
meet his or her needs (İçöz, 2001: 91).
If put into tourism context, this stage includes
need or will for travel and evaluation of its feasibility. The emergence of a
need or a will in an individual means that a stimulus came into action in that
person. This stimulus is needed for an individual to act in a particular way.
When stimulated, individuals focus on that stimulus, which is followed by a
need to emerge (Rızaoğlu, 2003: 149).
There are a number of motives
that raise a need for travel or holiday in an individual. These are extensively
reviewed and discussed in traditional tourism books. These are primarily a need
for travel or rest for a particular period after a long and tiring work period,
for entertainment, for pilgrim, for business, and for health (İçöz, 2001: 91)
1.6.1.2. Information Search
The second stage is
information search. The scope of such search depends on individual
characteristics (attitudes, knowledge, experiences, and motivations), market
characteristics (number of alternatives, cost, accessible information) and
situational characteristics (lack of time and financial pressure) (Bovèe and
Thill, 1992: 177).
An individual who has a real need may sometimes search
more information. If the need is around and easily accessible, s/he is likely
to be tempted by this. If not, s/he starts to look for solutions from different
sources (İçöz 2001: 92);
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Commercial sources: advertisements, salesperson,
marketers etc.
-
Personal sources: friends, family, neighbours
etc.
-
Institutional sources: criticisms in the media,
travel pages, consumer monitoring (rating) institutions, etc.
On the other hand, a consumer
needs to be properly acknowledged by marketing staff regarding features of
product or service. In this scope management of marketing needs to identify
consumers’ sources of information and to be aware of the significance of each
in order to prepare an efficient interaction on the basis of this set of
information (Uygur, 2007: 191).
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