Segmentation of the tourist services market. segmentation of the tourism market. types of tourists. Planning a segmentation strategy

17.01.2021

According to the definition adopted above, we consider the tourism market as a demand market, and according to the marketing concept of the concept of the market, it represents a set of potential and real consumers of the tourism product, which, from the point of view of the theory of market behavior, can be identified and summarized into groups of consumers according to a certain number of characteristics. When analyzing the tourism market as a whole, various segments or, in other words, individual consumer markets, are subject to marketing research. The travel service provider must have a clear idea of what market it intends to enter with its commercial offer who can and should become its main client, what motives and incentives will determine the willingness to buy the tourism products offered to them.

Segmentation of the tourism market provides conditions for the creation of competitive tourism products, based on the study of the demand of specific consumer groups, thereby putting into practice one of the most important principles of marketing - the principle of focusing on consumer needs. Without studying demand based on market segmentation, it is very difficult to achieve optimal satisfaction of consumer needs: either the product does not sufficiently satisfy the consumer, or the way in which it was offered did not provide access to those who could buy it.

Thus, it can be noted that two theoretical prerequisites underlie the segmentation of the tourism market. First, the market is a collection of individual segments that reflect variations in the demand of different categories of consumers under the influence of various factors. Secondly, it is necessary to differentiate products and methods of its marketing on the basis of determining the most significant features of the demand of a particular group of consumers.

The analysis of market segmentation consists in the need to identify the most important features of each group of consumers and orient the company's policy to meet the specific requirements of customers. There are many signs of segmentation of the tourist market. The segmentation criteria proposed by various authors are largely similar.

More often, three main groups of criteria are distinguished: geographical; socio-demographic; psychological and behavioral.

From the point of view of geographical characteristics or otherwise territorial coverage, it is possible to distinguish types of tourism and their corresponding segments of the tourism market:

suburban tourism (travels of citizens out of town during holidays or weekends);
intra-regional tourism (tourism within a region);
domestic tourism (tourism limited by the state borders of the country);
international tourism (tourism outside the country).

There are many modifications of types of tourism for the suburban market segment in accordance with the purpose and duration of the trip.

Based on the purpose of travel, suburban tourism can be divided into trips to nature; targeted trips out of town; trips to the country; trips to suburban rest houses, sanatoriums, boarding houses, camps for schoolchildren, etc.; visiting cultural, historical and other sights of the suburbs; other trips, determined by the tastes, opportunities and habits of tourists.

According to the duration of travel in suburban tourism, the following are distinguished: weekend routes; medium-term routes (from 2 to 7 days); long-term routes (over 7 days).

Having an idea of the possibilities for the development of suburban tourism, travel companies can provide appropriate services for organizing tourists for a particular type of travel: the provision of transport and excursion services, the rental of tourist equipment, the organization of booking places in tourist accommodation facilities, and much more.

The work of a travel company in intra-regional tourism is facilitated by a sufficiently high degree of its familiarity with the conditions of the region, a wide possibility of varying transport routes, and a fairly stable and high demand of the population for such trips.

Domestic tourism used to be the most developed in our country due to its political and economic isolation. The role of this type of tourism is small today, not only due to the greater openness of the state to travel abroad, but also because of the collapse of the USSR, as a result of which Russia lost many previously prestigious holiday regions. Currently the task travel companies is the search and development of new tourist centers and the modernization of existing recreation areas. When organizing work in the international market segment for a travel company, existing interstate agreements, agreements and restrictions that bind different states are of great importance.

International tourism has become widespread at the present time and has become the main activity of most travel companies.

Sociodemographic criteria for segmentation of the tourism market are presented in Table 4.

Sociodemographic segmentation criteria

table 2

The end of the table. 2

Each of the above segments must be offered a tourist product that meets its requirements. So, for example, taking the age criterion as the basis for segmentation, it is necessary to develop a tourist offer that would take into account the motivation for travel and the needs of people of each age category.

Tourist product for youth (18-25 years old).

When developing tours for this segment, it must be remembered that young people require a lively holiday trip that provides for a variety of meetings and entertainment, as well as the availability of a sufficient amount of free time.

Tourist product for children (6-12 years old).

Children require, first of all, close attention from the adults accompanying them, therefore, the selection of personnel serving the children's tourist group, which should consist of qualified specialists in the field of pedagogy, is of particular importance. The very same travel program should contain elements of entertainment and games and not be tense in terms of the intensity of educational excursions.

Tourist product for the elderly (55-70 years).

A tourism product for the elderly must contain a well-organized tourism program agreed with the client in advance. It must be taken into account that this type of tourist does not like "surprises" in both good and bad sense. The place of residence should provide for all amenities, an atmosphere of comfort, but it does not have to be listed as "luxury". This clientele requires availability and speed of provision at any time. medical services. In Russia, this market segment is quite narrow, mainly due to the prevailing economic conditions life of this age category of people, but nevertheless, we can state its presence in the Russian tourist market. Therefore, it should not be left without the attention of travel agents.

Carrying out segmentation of the tourist market based on psychological and behavioral criteria initially involves the study of all the psychological characteristics of the tourist: the stereotype of behavior, desires, cultural needs, etc., based on tourist motivation and the typology of the tourist clientele.

The basics of tourist motivation are set out in the paragraph on the specifics of tourist demand. Here we will consider in more detail the segments of the tourist market, allocated based on the motives pursued by tourists when making a trip.

The classification of market segments on this basis is rather conditional, since travel motives are often closely intertwined. Let's highlight the main ones in a "pure form":

The market of cognitive (excursion) tourism, i.e., the totality of tourists traveling for educational purposes. Educational tourism is one of the most common forms of tourism both abroad and in Russia.
Recreational tourism market- tourists traveling for recreation and treatment.
Business tourism market- tourists whose trips are related to the implementation professional duties: visits to objects owned by the company or of particular interest to it; for business negotiations; to search for additional supply and distribution channels; to participate in various conferences, seminars, symposiums, etc.
Sports tourism market- tourists who go on a trip to participate in sporting events. Both members of sports teams and fans resort to the services of travel companies.
Adventure tourism market- tourists traveling for the pleasure of extreme natural conditions sometimes endangering their lives.
Religious tourism market - tourists traveling for the purpose of performing various religious missions, visiting holy places, pilgrimages.
Farming or rural tourism market- tourists (mainly families with children or city dwellers) seeking to get out into nature, try their hand at the agricultural field. Operating agricultural farms sometimes specially organize a tourism base in order to receive additional income from the sale of certain types or a set of services provided.
Ecotourism market- tourists who have chosen outdoor recreation, coupled with care for the environment. During the journey, they carry out a number of measures to protect it.

The listed types of tourism are closely intertwined, complementing each other, thereby enriching the journey, making it more intense and diverse. The task of travel companies in this regard is to provide the client with conditions for combining various types of tourism. This is especially important in cases where the client is not aware of such a possibility in advance or has no idea how to implement the ego.

Another component of the psychological characteristics of the tourist is, as already noted, the typology of the tourist clientele. Its consideration is necessary for the segmentation of the tourist market according to the psychological-behavioral criterion. Tourists can be classified, for example, according to the types identified by the American psychologist Stanley Plog: psychocentrics and egocentrics.

Psychocentrics(concentrate on themselves) prefer to travel with families. They appreciate insignificant activity, familiar cuisine, tourist comfort with a developed network of shops and restaurants. They prefer to avoid contact with foreigners.
Egocentrics(extroverted behavior) like active and varied entertainment; adventure and thrill; travel to satisfy curiosity. They prefer to travel to non-specialized tourist areas. They are distinguished by a high level of activity, a desire to get acquainted with a new culture and communicate with foreigners.

French marketers held classification of tourists in terms of psychology. When using this method, homogeneous groups of tourists are formed based on the motivation for making a trip and their behavioral characteristics. Thus, character traits and the psychological profile of tourists were determined. Seven psychological profiles of tourists have been established:

1 .Sociable tourist. While traveling, she seeks to find an opportunity to make new friends and is constantly looking for contacts.

Before traveling, makes inquiries about everything that concerns him. Relies on advice from parents, colleagues and friends. Particular attention is paid to the quality of service and the atmosphere of the reception.

2. Indecisive tourist. Is in search of something that could calm him down and fill the emotional emptiness of everyday loneliness: human contacts, extra-family and extra-professional meetings. Feels lonely and abandoned in the hotel, unless the quality of service and the hospitable attitude of the staff help such a tourist to overcome his condition.
3. Secular tourist. Motivated to travel by the desire to belong to a privileged class of the population. He is sensitive to the quality of service and a large number of diverse staff in hotels, restaurants, because, in his opinion, this confirms a high social status. He opts for hotels with a good reputation, located in the city center. He evaluates services and reception in terms of prestige, to which he attaches more importance than human relations.

A. Curious tourist. This type of tourist is quite open, pleasant in communication, looking for knowledge, contacts and pleasures. He appreciates the warm atmosphere of the reception, the personal qualities of the hotel staff, the cheerfulness of other customers and every opportunity for human contact.

5. Wandering tourist. Mobility, freedom, carelessness, quickness - these characteristics determine the psychological profile of this type of tourist. He spends little time at the hotel, his contacts with people are reduced to a minimum due to constant employment and lack of time.
6. Tourist individualist. He spends his holidays taking care of his physical and spiritual condition. He perceives as aggression any intrusion into his personal world and has a negative attitude towards collective events.

When developing a tourist product for segments of the foreign tourist market, it is necessary to take into account the factors present in the psychology of peoples: the factor of education, which determines the psychological behavior of peoples; factor of cultural heritage and social traditions, which passes from generation to generation; a factor in the temperament and character of peoples, which is the product of heritage and social experience.

All these conditions must be taken into account when organizing tourist services for foreign tourists.

Spanish tourism researcher H.M. Montejano highlights the following types of psychology of parodies.

Latin and Mediterranean psychology.

This type of psychology was formed under the influence of past culture, mild climate, behavior based on improvisation, extravagance and friendliness. This psychology can extend to the Hispanic population as well.

In accordance with this type of psychology, the following characteristics of tourists from these countries can be indicated.

The French are looking for the lowest prices for services, prefer family tourism, geographical proximity, similarity of cultures, acquaintance with people, peace and sun.

The Portuguese strive to learn about other cultures and love shopping.

Italians seek to meet people, strive for knowledge of cultures, love to communicate with nature, prefer reasonable prices. They are unorganized tourists.

German, English and Nordic psychology.

German, English and Nordic psychologies, formed on the basis of upbringing, culture, climate and traditions, are an organized and disciplined type that does not like improvisation.

The British choose their travel destination based on climate characteristics, prices, cuisine, entertainment and the opportunity to have a good rest. Looking for correspondence "quality - price".

The Germans are connoisseurs of culture, nature, clean living environment. They love to meet people. They are also very demanding in terms of price and quality. They prefer organized recreation in campsites, family boarding houses.

Tourists from the Benelux countries are great lovers of the sun and the sea, traveling both individually and in groups. Just like the Germans, lovers of human contact.

American psychology.

Three types of American psychology should be distinguished: East Coast, Central (Anglo-Saxons), and West Coast.

Americans are not looking for low prices, they are not lovers of the sun and beaches. They are lovers of centuries-old culture. Among them, ethnic tourism is very developed: the search for ancestors, a meeting with relatives abroad. Use the highest quality tourist services, are fond of shopping.

Japanese and Eastern psychology.

Eastern behavior is mostly permeated with the principles of Eastern cultures and religions. The tourist behavior of the Indo-Malays is characterized by friendliness, courtesy and improvisation. The Japanese are characterized by organized and pragmatic behavior. Chinese psychology can be described as a symbiosis of the two previous ones.

Arab and African psychology.

The Arab world is saturated with historical and religious traditions, but in the socio-psychological sense it is open, friendly, and prone to improvisation. The behavior of Africans is similar to the Arab type of psychology. Looking for entertainment and communication.

Russian psychology is not considered in Western literature. It should be noted that friendliness and trustfulness are inherent in this type of tourist. Large personal expenses in a tourist facility correlate with the concept of a Russian tourist “to rest, so rest!”; Russians also make purchases in the host country, which are rarely limited to souvenirs and commemorative postcards. For the most part, they are not spoiled for comfort.

The secondary psychological and behavioral criteria for segmenting the tourist market, based on the motives of travel and the psychological type of the tourist himself, include the following criteria, summarized in Table 5.

Secondary Psychological and Behavioral Criteria for Segmenting the Tourist Market

Table 3

Criteria	Market segments
Travel organization form	On your own or through a travel company
seasonality	Main season or off-season
Used vehicles	Auto, air, bicycle, bus, sea, pedestrian, river, rail transport
Accommodation facilities used	Hotels, motels, campsites, private houses and apartments, etc.
Trip duration	Short-term (2-4 days); medium duration (7-14 days); long-term (more than 21 days)
Consultants and intermediaries in making a decision on making a tour	Travel companies, funds mass media, friends, etc.

The above list of criteria for segmenting the tourism market is not exhaustive, it can be much wider, since the segmentation process itself tends to infinity, which is determined by such factors as the complexity of the structure of human needs, as well as the growing importance of tourism in society.

The tourism industry is a whole inter-industry complex, and the market for tourism services and goods has a complex structure and economic indicators peculiar only to it.

Market segmentation is understood as the division of the “market in general” into but opportunities, homogeneous specific markets. “Market segmentation is, in fact, the definition of market layers. F. Kotler considers market segmentation only in relation to demand. V. Freyer uses the term not “delimitation” of markets, which “in theory and practice occurs primarily on the basis of spatial and temporal aspects, as well as depending on the specifics of the product being produced "V. Saprunova Tourism - M, 1997, p. 22.

The criteria for market segmentation proposed by various authors are largely similar to each other. At the same time, it should be emphasized that there is no single method of market segmentation. It is necessary to test segmentation options based on different variables, one or more at once, while taking into account the specifics of the structure of supply and demand in this market.

Market segmentation involves the identification of constituent components in both demand and supply. In this regard, a distinction should be made between market segments and submarkets.

Segmentation criteria:

* geographical;

* socio - demographic;

* Psychological and behavioral.

Segmentation by geographical parameters involves the division of demand into different geographical units, depending on:

* from the country of permanent residence of the tourist - to domestic, inbound and outbound tourism;

* from the geographical purpose of the tourist trip - to parts of the world, countries, regions, cantons, cities.

Socio-demographic criteria (characteristics of a tourist)

1. Age.

3. Profession of a tourist.

4. The profession of the head of the family.

5. The size of the settlement where tourists permanently reside.

6. Number of family members accompanying the tourist

7. Type of family.

8. Nationality.

9. Religious beliefs.

10. Presence or absence and family of personal vehicles.

11. Family income.

12. Income per family member.

Psychological-behavioral criteria (characteristics of tourist behavior)

1. The motive of the trip.

2. Type of tourist (psychological portrait).

3. Seasonality.

4. Organization of the trip (touronator).

5. Form of travel.

6. Used vehicles.

7. Accommodation facilities used.

8. Remoteness of the turret.

9. Duration of the trip.

10. Sources of funding for the trip.

Let us give examples of demand segmentation according to some of the above criteria. On the basis of age, for example, youth tourism and tourism of "seniors" are distinguished; the demand for tourist services from the age groups "from 30 to 45 years old" and "from 45 to 55 years old" has its own characteristics, etc. Women's tourism, professional specialized tourism (for example, tours for bank employees, employees agriculture, various industries). Depending on the type of family, demand is divided into family tourism with and without children, tourism of singles, tourism of families of 5 or more people, etc. Separate segments form religious, ethnic tourism, expensive exclusive and cheap tourist trips.

With psycho-behavioral segmentation, the consumer of tourist services and goods is divided into groups according to lifestyle characteristics and goals regarding the organization of their free time, according to personality characteristics, as well as behavioral characteristics and stereotypes in relation to the consumption of a tourist product.

Depending on the motivation of a tourist trip, the following main segments of tourist demand are distinguished: recreational, cultural, communication, sports, business tourism. Many of them are divided into smaller sub-segments, for example, in recreational tourism, these are holiday tourism and tourism for the purpose of treatment; many subspecies are available in sports tourism. It is often difficult to draw a clear line between separate segments in terms of motivation: business tourism can be combined with educational tourism, sports tourism with recreational tourism. The complication of tourism needs leads to the emergence of not only completely new segments in tourism demand, but also a significant number of mixed forms of tourism.

Based on the criterion "the main means of transport used", tourist demand is divided into segments: automobile, air, rail, sea cruise, river cruise bus, bicycle tourism. The criterion of "seasonality" involves the analysis of tourist flows in the main season and off-season, as well as but months and seasons. Many segments reveal the criterion "accommodation means used by the tourist": hotels, boarding houses and sanatoriums, accommodation in private apartments, motels, campsites, car trailers, etc.

Segmentation according to the criterion "duration of a tourist trip" is of great importance for tourism service providers: it is noticed, in particular, that tourists undertaking short tours are ready for more expenses and require a more intensive excursion program. Segmentation methods according to this criterion may have significant differences. Swiss researchers, for example, distinguish two main segments: long (more than 5 days) and short tours. Long tours are further divided into segments: "up to three weeks", "four weeks", "five weeks", "more than five weeks". Short tours have sub-segments "2, 3, 4 days". In the studies of the German Institute for Tourism Problems (Starnberg) in the segment "long tours" the sub-segments "up to 8 days", "from 9 to 15 days", "from 16 to 22 days", "23 days and more" are analyzed.

Summarizing the above, we summarize the main segments of tourism demand as follows.

Geographic:

* country of arrival of the tourist - inbound, outbound, domestic tourism;

* the geographical purpose of the tour is tourism in countries, regions, individual tourist centers.

2. Socio-demographic:

Criteria

Demand segments

1. Age

3. Profession

4. Profession

family heads

5. The size of the settlement of permanent residence

6. Family type

7. Nationality

8. Religious beliefs

9. Family income

Youth tourism

Senior Tourism

Children's tourism

Tourism by age groups

Women's tourism

Mixed tourism

Many segments by profession:

Special tours for employees of various sectors of the economy, politics, personal life

Segments by belonging to different social strata of society: for example, top management, middle-level employees, workers, etc.

Tourists from large, small, medium-sized cities, from the countryside

Tourism of singles, families without children, with children, multi-family tourism

Ethnic tourism

Religious tourism

Social tourism, luxury tourism, cheap tours, exclusive tours

3. Psychological-behavioral:

Criteria

Demand segments

Motive for the trip

2. Type of tourist (psychological portrait)

3. Seasonality

4. Organization of the trip

5. Form of travel

6. Vehicles used

7. Accommodation facilities used

8. Duration of trip

9. Remoteness of the turret

10. funding sources

11. Consultants and intermediaries in making a decision on making a tour.

Recreational, business, sports, educational, communicative tourism

Various classifications

Main season, off-season, by months of the year

On your own or through a travel company

Group, individual

Auto -, air -, bicycle tourism, bus, sea and river cruise and other types of tourism

Hotels, motels, campsites, private houses and apartments and other types of tourism.

Long (more than 21 days)

Short term (2 - 4 days)

Medium duration (7 - 14 days), etc.

Various segmentation criteria

Social tourism (vacation trips for low-income segments of the population are subsidized by the social insurance system), intensive tours (incentive trips for company employees and their families, financed by the company), family budget.

travel agencies,

tour operators,

Acquaintances, the media, etc.

It should be emphasized that the above list is not exhaustive. The segmentation of tourist demand tends to infinity, which is caused by factors such as the complexity of the structure of human needs, as well as the growing importance of recreation and tourism in society.

Geographic features

Often segmentation of the tourism market begins with geographic segmentation. But this is only the first step in finding free and attractive niches. Markets identified by geographical segmentation criteria are carefully studied and divided into smaller segments according to additional criteria: behavioral, socio-demographic or psychographic.

An in-depth knowledge of the tourism market begins with the basic concept of "tourist demand", which, along with the category "tourist offer", is of fundamental importance for understanding both individual problems of tourism as an economic system and the mechanism of its functioning as a whole.

In the concept of tourist demand, the priority is given to the consumer. It is no coincidence, therefore, that the study of visitors whose needs and desires are supposed to be satisfied deserves special attention.

§ 1. Segmentation of the tourist market. Types of tourists

The concept of market segmentation. The vast majority of consumer markets are heterogeneous. Buyers have different tastes, aspirations, habits, opportunities, and so on. presenting different demand. The more consumers differ from each other, the more difficult it is to create a product (service) that would satisfy absolutely everyone, and the more useless becomes advertising designed for all buyers at once. As competition intensifies, manufacturers seek to capture the slightest nuances of consumer demand in order to offer a product that is in demand on the market. However, it is unprofitable for the manufacturer to produce goods (services) for each person individually, focusing on his individual desires and requests. Instead, the seller identifies broad groups of consumers with similar characteristics, characterized by relatively homogeneous demand. Such groups are called segments, and the process of their selection is called segmentation. It is considered a key marketing technology.

In the example of a market of six buyers, consider three marketing techniques. In the first case, there is no market segmentation. Diametrically opposite is the second case, corresponding to the maximum degree of market segmentation. Here, each customer is a separate segment. In the third case, the market is segmented according to a chosen feature (for example, by income level). With this division, three segments are formed. Moreover, the group of buyers with an income level indicated by one is the most numerous.

Segments have varying degrees of interest in the same product. According to the classical law of marketing, 20-30% of buyers ensure the sale of 70-80% of the goods (services). The correct definition of prospective consumers that make up the target segment (audience) is the main task of segmentation and at the same time its main difficulty.

The picture of the market, divided into a number of segments, clarifies the choice of the direction of the company. Market segmentation determines the adoption of strategic decisions and the direct development of the marketing mix.

market segment requirements. Segmentation restrictions. The success or, conversely, the defeat of a company in the market depends on how correctly it managed to identify groups of consumers. The market segment must meet a number of conditions.

Intergroup heterogeneity. All segments should be different from each other and have different needs.

Homogeneity. Within each group, consumers must have a certain similarity, which will allow the development of an appropriate marketing plan for the entire segment.

Measurability. In order to form a market audience, the characteristics of consumers, as well as their requirements, must be measurable. Some variables, especially those related to lifestyle, are very difficult to measure.

Capacity. The segment must be large enough to generate sales and cover costs. Sometimes the selected audience is too narrow, i. the output of goods (services) exceeds the volume of purchases made by this group of consumers. While many different ethnic restaurants coexist in metropolitan areas, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese and Moroccan restaurants are unlikely to survive in small towns due to insufficient segment capacity.

Availability for the company. It shows whether a segment is affected by advertising and to what extent, and whether it can be served. It is necessary to strive to ensure that consumers, united in groups, are easily accessible. Thus, American college students should be contacted through college newspapers. They are the best means of communication with this category of buyers, since over 80% of students regularly read them.

Other requirements for the segment are also discussed: sustainability, growth prospects, absorptive capacity, etc.

Although segmentation is considered the heart of marketing activities, it should not be abused. There is a danger of selecting too small segments. Firms often, but unsuccessfully, try to compete in many, very different segments. They may misinterpret customer similarities and differences, confuse consumers, or get caught up in a shrinking market segment.

Segmentation is carried out using a number of criteria (parameters) that characterize the volume and quality of demand of a certain group of consumers for a particular product (service). In tourismology and in practice, the division of the tourism market according to various criteria (geographical, demographic, socio-economic, psychographic and behavioral), as well as on the basis of their combination, is common.

Geographical segmentation is often used by statistical agencies. They subdivide the general population of tourists into homogeneous groups according to the regions (countries) of their origin. Tourists united in one group have a certain stereotype of behavior. They are close in their preferences, expectations, desired benefits.

Americans are willing to spend large sums of money on holidays, but also expect to get a lot. They are demanding on the level of service. Sometimes they complain if their expectations are not met.

The British are a very difficult segment of the tourist market. There are naive. They never complain right away, but they can complain later.

The French are a sophisticated market. Responsible for English language and don't understand why the whole world speaks English and not French. Often not restrained. They love only their national food.

The Germans are a difficult market. They are very picky, often complain, are punctual in everything and require clarity in the organization of the trip.

The Japanese are an easier market. They can be programmed and organized for any event. Extremely accurate. They have a very rough idea of the traditions and culture of the visited country, but they want to learn as much as possible. Photography fans: they take pictures of everything that moves and does not move, that casts a shadow and even the shadow itself. They do not like to mix with representatives of other nationalities.

Each selected segment of the market has a different model of tourist behavior and requires a special approach.

Segmentation by geodemographic feature. Regional breakdowns are often supplemented by urban-rural segmentation or by level of urbanization (size of settlements). Although in Lately there is a blurring of differences between the needs of the urban and rural population, residents of large and small cities, and all of them are actively involved in the sphere of tourist exchanges, the magnitude and nature of tourist demand still depend on the place of residence of consumers.

A modern large city has a dual impact on the life and adaptive capabilities of a person. On the one hand, he receives a number of economic, social, and cultural advantages, on the other hand, breaking away from nature, he finds himself in an alien environment with a high population density, an accelerated rhythm of life, polluted air, etc.

Urbanization, with its increased risk to human health, plays a significant role in shaping recreational needs and tourist demand. The larger the city, the more acute the desire of its inhabitants to return to a natural state and the wider the circle of people who spend their holidays outside their permanent residence, regularly fleeing from environmental aggression. A survey conducted in France in the early 1990s showed that the national average for leisure leave was 59%, ranging from 42% in rural communities (less than 2,000 inhabitants) to 73% in the Paris agglomeration and 77% in Paris. Recreational mobility of people in the centers of urbanization is higher than in small towns or rural areas. The relationship between the size of the settlement and the volume of demand for suburban recreation can be traced throughout the civilized world.

Demographic segmentation consists in dividing the market into groups by age, gender of consumers, their marital status, family composition, etc. These and other demographic characteristics are the most common segmentation factors. One of the reasons for such popularity lies in the fact that needs and preferences, as well as the intensity of consumption of goods (services) are closely related to demographic characteristics. Another reason is that demographic characteristics are relatively easy to measure. Even in cases where the description of the market is conducted from other positions (for example, based on the existence of different types of personalities), demographic parameters are still taken into account.

When segmenting the tourism market according to demographics, the WTO recommends distinguishing five age groups.

The first group includes children from 0 to 14 years old. They usually travel with their parents, who make travel decisions for them. Many tourist services are provided to them at preferential rates. The size of the discounts often serve as the basis for further gradation of this category of travelers into smaller and more homogeneous parts: infants under one year old who can be transported free of charge, children from one to five years old, from 6 to 11 years old and from 12 to 14 years old.

The second group from 15 to 24 years old is formed by young people. As children, young people travel without their parents. They have their own, usually very limited travel funds.

The third segment of the tourist market consists of relatively young, from 25 to 44 years old, economically active people. They have families and spend their free time with them. The model of tourist behavior of this group is formed largely under the influence of the needs and interests of their children.

The fourth category includes people of middle age from 45 to 64 years. They still maintain economic activity, but, unlike the previous group, they are not burdened with caring for children who, having matured, left their father's house. In the West, such families are often called "empty nests."

An independent segment is formed by older people, mainly non-working pensioners. The tourism market for older people over 65 has undergone profound changes over the past 10-20 years and is characterized by a high growth rate of tourist trips.

Each age group has its own distinct stereotype of behavior and prioritizes tourism differently.

The classification of visitors by age proposed by the WTO can be taken as a basis by national tourism administrations, statistical bodies, tourism enterprises and used by them, taking into account local characteristics (Table 14).

Socio-economic segmentation has long been known and used in marketing research of the travel market. Among the socio-economic characteristics of potential tourists, the most important are the level of income, as well as social status, occupation (profession) and level of education.

When creating a tourist product, the manufacturer must answer, among others, such requests: "Who can afford to purchase this tour?", "Who will be interested in it?" If we approach the solution of the questions raised from a historical point of view, it becomes obvious that at each stage of social development there were one or more social strata that determined the picture of travel.

Table 14
Tourist priorities of different age groups of the population (from a sociological survey of the population conducted by the English travel agency "Lann Poli")

Order of preference	Young lonely people	Young married couples	couples	Age group 45 to 64 years old	Senior citizens aged 65 and over
1	Visiting bars, clubs and discos	Passive rest	Holidays with the family	Excursions	Excursions
2	sunbathing	Tasty food	Passive rest	Passive rest	Nature trips
3	Excursions	Excursions	Excursions	Nature trips	Tasty food
4	Passive rest	Holidays with the family	sunbathing	Tasty food	Passive rest
5	Nature trips	sunbathing	Tasty food	sunbathing	Holidays with loved ones and others

Up until the beginning of the 20th century. tourism was of an aristocratic nature. The earliest information about individual embryonic forms of tourism and its social base dates back to the era of Antiquity. The ancient Greeks and Romans - the highest state officials, tribal nobility, large landowners, wealthy merchants, etc. - were probably the first who regularly made long-distance sea and land voyages.

In the era of the late Middle Ages, a new social phenomenon arose in the aristocratic circles of English society - grand tours - trips of young wealthy Englishmen to the continent to complete their education. Travel, undertaken with the aim of visiting France and Italy and familiarizing with the truly great works of art, was designed for two or three years and was an expensive pleasure. Only wealthy families could spend between £3,000 and £4,000. Art. per year to study abroad. But from the second half of the 17th century, with the entry of England into the time of the New Age, the social base of travel was changing and expanding, and in the last third of the 18th century. the economically strengthened bourgeoisie, having forced out the English aristocracy, rushed to the continent in order to join European culture.

Later, in the 19th century, a stratum of the moneyed bourgeoisie, the rentier, living on interest from a loan of money capital or dividends from securities, becomes the trendsetter for travel. Not connected with business activity, they had free time, as well as the financial means necessary for tourist trips. In 1899, the income of English rentiers amounted to 90-100 million pounds. Art. and five times the income from foreign trade of England, at that time the most trading of the countries of the world.

In the XX century. the social structure of Western society is becoming more complex. Its support and guarantor of stability is the middle class. Appearing at the turn of the XVIII-XIX centuries. in England in the middle of the 20th century. he took a dominant position in the hierarchy of Western societies; fundamentally changing their class structure. Today, in developed countries, 60-70% of the population are white-collar workers.

According to the apt definition of the American historian, sociologist and journalist M. Lerner, “they do not own either state power or economic leadership, but they rule culture, set the tone in the sphere of consumption, and the “big press” addresses them as their main audience. This light reading and illustrated magazines are addressed to them, a surrogate of culture is created for them. They know neither the burden nor the pleasure of physical labor, they do not know the excitement of those who dared to a bold enterprise. They are mediocre people, and their goals are also mediocre. They want comfort, some their unwillingness to take risks lies at the root of their political and cultural conformity. Big Business, where they themselves would dream of finding themselves, and the workers located at the very bottom are looked down upon, hoping that they will be able to avoid such a fate.

The middle class corresponds to a certain standard of living, in which travel is not the last place. This broadest segment of the population in a civilized society has become the main consumer of tourist goods and services, radically changing the nature of tourism. From an aristocratic, it has turned into a mass, democratic phenomenon of our time.

The social status of a person depends on his financial situation. The level of income is one of the signs of belonging to the upper, middle or lower strata of society. In travel marketing, it is often used as an independent socio-economic factor in segmenting the consumer market.

The material well-being of a person affects his needs, preferences and purchasing choices. Back in the 19th century Prussian statistician and economist E. Engel proved that there is a direct relationship between the type of purchased goods (services) and the size of the consumer's money income. According to the law he discovered, with an increase in income, the share of funds spent on essential goods decreases, and the share of spending on luxury goods increases. These progressive changes in the structure of consumption find expression, in particular, in the rapid expansion of demand for tourist goods and services. If we take the indicator of gross national product (GNP) per capita as a criterion of wealth, then the distribution of the countries of the world in terms of material well-being and tourist mobility of the population will be as follows (Table 15).

Table 15
Gross national product per capita and proportion of the population traveling on holiday in three industrialized and three developing countries of the world, 1992

The table shows that the main suppliers of tourists are countries with a high standard of living. But even in them there is a differentiation of the population in terms of income. For example, in the United States, groups of Americans are distinguished with a total family income for the year

Up to 10,000 am. Doll.,

From 10,000 to 14,999 am. Doll,

From 15,000 to 19,999 am. Doll.,

From 20,000 to 29,999 am. Doll.,

From 30,000 to 49,999 am. Doll.,

From 50,000 to 99,999 am. Doll.,

100,000 am. dollars and above.

Differences in the material situation of the population give rise to heterogeneity of tourist demand. A relatively thin layer of wealthy people prefer expensive tours with a high class of service. They usually travel individually or as part of a small group of special interests (VIPs). The population with a more modest income acquires tours at medium and low prices, designed for the mass consumer.

According to a sociological survey, in the mid-1980s in the USSR, the bulk of tourists from the United States were people with an annual family budget of 20,000 to 75,000 ammo. dollars (Table 16). In the mid-90s, due to a sharp increase in prices for tourist services in Russian Federation such trips could be afforded mainly by families whose annual income exceeded 50,000 ammo. Doll.

Table 16
Distribution of American tourists who visited the USSR in 1984-1985, by income level

The level of income, considered by marketers as the basis for market segmentation, does not always accurately outline the circle of consumers of a particular product (service).

In the US, some high-end downtown restaurants have branched out to middle-class suburbs. They counted on the high paying capacity of this category of the population. However, soon many of them were forced to close due to lack of clientele. Unlike city dwellers, suburbanites rarely visit such establishments, preferring to dine at home.

Almost all marketers recognize and use geographic, demographic and socio-economic signs of market segmentation. The information they collect about sex, age, family size, social status, level of education, property status, and place of residence make it possible to comprehensively describe buyers and single out homogeneous groups among them. This segmentation approach is sometimes called descriptive.

Initially, all segmentation was descriptive. It seemed that knowledge of the geographic, demographic and socio-economic characteristics of consumers was enough to get a complete picture of the market and its segments. However, it soon became clear that it did not provide an opportunity to explain the behavior and reveal the true motives driving buyers. Traditional descriptive segmentation leaves many questions unanswered: "Why do some people travel, while others, on the contrary, prefer to stay at home?"; "Why does a person choose this particular place for recreation, and not any other?" In search of an answer to these questions, let us turn to motivational and psychological factors.

Psychographic segmentation organically complements descriptive segmentation. Psychographics studies the lifestyle of people, i.e. established forms of their existence in the world. These forms find expression in activities, interests and opinions. Psychographics draws a portrait of a person in all the diversity of his actions and interactions with other people. Better than occupation, wealth, or social class, a way of life helps to understand the changing value orientations of a person and his purchasing behavior.

In tourism marketing, psychographic segmentation has become widespread. Marketers study how people spend their time (their hobbies, entertainment), what; they attach importance and what is their attitude to different types of recreation. The activities, interests and opinions of people are most directly reflected in their tourist preferences. But not all psychographic characteristics equally determine the behavior of tourists. Especially strong influence five factors are: propensity for change, readiness for adventure and risk, degree of conservatism, requirements for comfort in travel and the intellectual level of tourist requests. Based on these features, primarily the willingness to take risks, the American psychologist S. Plog identified two extreme types of tourists (Table 17) - psychocentrics and allocentrics. Each of these types of tourists is characterized by a certain behavior pattern. They choose different places for recreation, means of transport and accommodation.

Table 17
Comparative characteristics of psychocentrics and allocentrics

Psychocentrics

allocentrics

Choose well-known tourism centers that are culturally close to their permanent residence
Attract traditional types of entertainment and recreation
Low activity
Prefer such tourist centers that can be reached by car
Demanding on comfort: they stay in high-category hotels, visit cozy family restaurants and tourist shops
On vacation, they especially appreciate the homely atmosphere and avoid foreign cultural influences.
They purchase ready-made packages of tourist services (package tours). The tour should have a rich entertainment program

They strive to open new areas not yet mastered by tourists

Enjoy the feeling "pioneer"
High level of activity
Rest places, usually remote, are reached by air

Satisfied with good food and accommodation in a hotel, not necessarily a "chain" *, as well as the opportunity to have a little fun

Love to interact with the locals

The tour should include only the main components - transportation and accommodation, and its program should be as flexible as possible and provide as much freedom as possible to the participants of the trip.

* The most comfortable and expensive hotels belong to the so-called chains - large hotel companies. They cover dozens of hotels in different countries and are known for their high level service (for details, see chapter IX $ 2)

There are not so many "pure" psychocentrics and allocentrics among tourists. In the bulk, travelers occupy an intermediate position, being "medium-centric". In their actions, characteristic features of both models of behavior can be traced. They travel to unfamiliar places, but in comfort. Some of them are more willing to take risks, others, on the contrary, seek to avoid unforeseen situations. The attraction of tourists to one of the two poles explains the specifics of their demand.

The psychographic approach is closely related to another type of market segmentation based on the behavior of people when buying. A number of experts consider behavioral parameters to be the most suitable for identifying consumer segments.

Behavioral segmentation allows you to identify relatively homogeneous groups of consumers depending on their attitude to the company and its offer, awareness of the product (service), reaction to it and the nature of use. If psychographic segmentation focuses on consumers, their personal characteristics and lifestyle, then in behavioral segmentation, the client is considered in conjunction with the product. At the same time, special attention is paid to two categories of people who already use the product or are its potential buyers.

In tourism, in the study of the consumer market, three types of behavioral segmentation are mainly used. One of them is segmentation according to the desired benefits (advantages). In tourism, the largest division of the market according to the desired benefits is considered to be the division into visitors with entertainment and business purposes. These two main segments of visitors can in turn be divided into smaller market audiences. For example, many of those who go on vacation seek to break away from everyday reality and compensate for the lack of physical activity. Others consider tourism as a means of interpersonal communication. Their leisure activities are aimed at establishing closer communicative relations with other vacationers. Particularly inquisitive tourists, united under the motto "Culture, discovery, life", wish to receive new information, enrich themselves intellectually or change their occupation for a while. A wide range of vacationers needs peace, rehabilitation after stressful situations of everyday life. There are also tourists who are looking for an opportunity to realize their creative potential while traveling.

Of course, the above list of benefits sought cannot be considered exhaustive. However, it gives an idea of the variety of benefits that tourists expect when traveling, and the types of leisure activities in which they are realized to one degree or another.

Another type of behavioral segmentation is segmentation of the market according to the degree of consumer loyalty to brands, and in tourism - most often to tourist centers or areas. On this basis, consumers can be divided into three groups. Some tourists do not show commitment to any of the tourist centers, changing the direction of travel. They either buy a tour from those available in this moment or want to purchase something different from what is on sale. This type of consumer is called "wanderers".

The second segment of the market consists of travelers with a certain degree of commitment. They prefer several tourist centers, rarely change them, and usually do not seek to develop new ones.

Finally, full or unconditional adherents always rest in the same place. They are not attracted to other, often cheaper resorts.

When segmenting, it should be remembered that the behavior of buyers, which, it would seem; explained by stable preferences, in fact, it may be a manifestation of habit or indifference, serve as a reaction to a low price or the absence of alternative offers. Segmentation by degree of adherence requires caution.

Another approach to dividing the market - segmentation by intensity of consumption - is based on different volumes of goods (services) purchased by buyers. In the 60s of the XX century. In marketing, the term "heavy half" has appeared to describe a market audience that accounts for a disproportionately large share of the total sales of a product or service. It was found that there is a mass user segment in the carbonated drinks and shampoo markets.

The theory of the "heavy half" is also used in the field of tourism. Research shows that in tourism business a high percentage of turnover is achieved by serving a small percentage of the clientele. Thus, 4.1% of airline passengers provide aircraft loading for 70.4% of flights, and 59.4% of people per day in hotels and motels account for 7.9% of visitors.

Naturally, most firms focus their efforts on the "heavy half". They prefer to attract one active rather than several weak customers. To this end, tourism industry enterprises have developed and are implementing programs of the "Regular Guest" type, which provide preferential services for regular customers. Despite the relatively high costs and far from unambiguous attitude of specialists, such programs encourage tourists to use the services of the same companies, and help firms to conquer and retain the most profitable market segments.

In all cases where a firm is targeting the "heavy half", one should be wary of the deceitfulness of magnitude. The "light half" may be underdeveloped.

Multidimensional segmentation. As a rule, the division of the market is carried out not according to one, but according to several variables. It allows you to more accurately describe the needs of consumers. Any of the segments indicated on it can be chosen by the company as a target, depending on the resources available to it, the positions of competitors and other circumstances.

In our suburban branch example of large American restaurants, mass bankruptcy could have been avoided if the segmentation was not only based on income. potential clients but also by their place of residence and marital status.

Among the groups of consumers of restaurant services, the most active are residents of large cities, single, with an average level of income (marked in color). According to the US National Restaurant Association, they spend more than half of their budget on food, including frequent dining out.

The six main types of consumer segmentation considered are widely used in various business areas, including tourism. At the same time, the tourist market has a number of features that must be taken into account when identifying individual market audiences.

In tourism, different persons often act as a direct consumer of services and a buyer (customer). For example, a firm is booking a hotel room for a traveling employee, and the needs of the parties do not always coincide.

In addition, the decision to purchase tourist services may vary depending on the purpose of the trip - leisure, business trip, visiting relatives and friends, etc. It is also influenced by the availability of free time, the duration and frequency of rest.

When traveling in groups, the common interest often differs from the needs and desires of each member.

Finally, when segmenting the tourism market, one should take into account the time when the decision to buy and book is made. It can be argued with a certain degree of certainty that persons who purchase "hot tours" are looking for other benefits than those who bought a ticket in advance.

Paying attention to these circumstances, experts discuss the question of the appropriateness of using, along with generally accepted geographical, demographic, geodemographic, socio-economic, psychographic and behavioral features, other specific criteria for segmenting the tourism market. Among them - covered distance, type of recreation, means of transportation, etc.

segmentation methods. Market segmentation is carried out in different ways. Among the most famous and widespread, especially in tourism marketing activities, is a set of mathematical methods called cluster analysis. They allow you to split the analyzed set of objects into a small number of classes (clusters), homogeneous inside and extremely different from each other.

Cluster analysis methods are divided into two types depending on whether they search for clusters simultaneously or sequentially. With a simultaneous search, variational and agglomerative methods are widely used. In the subsequent selection of classes, methods are used that are based on the definition of the concept of a cluster in special terms - the maximum allowable radius or the threshold of the significance of connections. Within the framework of cluster analysis, each initial object (person, enterprise, region, etc.) is described using a system of m indicators and is set as a point in m-dimensional space. In a graphical representation, the proximity of two or more checks means the homogeneity of the corresponding objects and their belonging to the same class.

Suppose we want to divide n objects into a given number of classes r. The cluster analysis procedure for a sequential army of classes is performed in two stages. First, the primary centers of r classes are established as a system of r points that are the most impacted from each other. At the second stage, successively for each of the remaining (n-r) points, the class is determined, to the center of which it is least of all located. The point is included in the class, after which it is located new center cluster as the arithmetic mean of the checks included in it.

We will consider the practical application of cluster analysis using the example of segmenting the Belgian market for vacation trips. The formation of clusters was preceded by a sociological survey of potential tourists. They were presented with a list of 29 main benefits expected from recreation: the possibility of passive pastime, acquaintance with a rich cultural heritage, enjoyment of the beauty of the natural landscape, good food, etc. Respondents were asked to rank them. Depending on the score that each position received, the person being surveyed fell into one or another class. As a result, seven clusters were identified that differ in the desired benefits on vacation:

1. Persons focused on relaxing with their families on the shores of the warm sea. This is the largest cluster of the Belgian leisure travel market with 27% of potential tourists. A beautiful landscape, communication with other people, a hospitable welcome, good food, and entertainment for children are important to them. They prefer to spend their holidays in the countries of Southern Europe according to the "sea - sun - beach" scheme.

2. Supporters of passive recreation (26% of potential tourists). In the proposed list of benefits, they singled out one - peace.

3. Nature lovers (12%). They are attracted by picturesque landscapes.

4. "Discoverers" (10%). Tourists of this cluster expect to receive three benefits from their vacation: to know the unknown, to establish close contact with other people, to touch the cultural heritage.

5. Adherents of traditions (10%). They especially value safety, peace, good food when traveling. On vacation, "traditionalists" like to spend time with their families.

6. "Contacters" (10%). They attach great importance to communication, staying in a pleasant company, hospitable reception.

7. Fans of outdoor activities at sea (5%). Indispensable conditions for a good holiday for them are the presence of the sea and the beach, the possibility of playing sports, entertainment.

The described clusters differ in priority and "weight" of the desired benefits. For some tourists, the main thing on vacation is the family environment, for others - beautiful landscapes. In essence, all the differences come down to two: the unequal degree of physical activity, as well as the sociability of the Belgians on vacation. These generalized indicators define a plane that can be used to graphically represent clusters.

Clusters are represented as circles. Their diameter is directly proportional to the size of the classes. The distance between clusters serves as a measure of their heterogeneity. For example, the second and fourth clusters are polar, while the first and third are closely related.

In the example above, holiday centers developing active forms of tourism should work with the fourth and seventh segments, which represent 15% of the Belgian leisure tourism market.

The results of cluster analysis are of great practical importance. Knowing them, the firm can choose target audience, offer services in accordance with the needs of potential consumers, more accurately determine the size of the market, conduct targeted advertising. In all cases, gain a good reputation and consolidate competitive advantages only those companies that study not their production capabilities, but the needs of customers and develop plans to meet them will be able to enter the market.

Segmentation of the tourist services market. segmentation of the tourism market. types of tourists. Planning a segmentation strategy

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