Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
It is therefore appropriate to consider a marketing strategy that can support
all of these elements. One approach is to consider ways to advance creative
tourism marketing specifically to those aged between 8 and 14 years (the
tweens), as it has been demonstrated that young people are engaged through
creativity and experience and, as identified, they are a target audience who
cannot be ignored, if only because how they see and experience their holidays
will affect their future destination selection.
Conclusion: Empowering the Young Consumer, the
Current Tourist and the Future Tourist
This chapter has discussed how young people are current and future
consumer markets (Sutherland & Thompson, 2001). It has highlighted that
young people do have the ability to coerce and influence adults' current
spending, including where their family will holiday. What influences their
young imaginations, especially through creativity and experiences on their
holidays, can determine what they will explore as the future, adult tourists.
It is worth considering 'that culture is not only at the root of tourism …
but also a key source of motivation in becoming a tourist' (Boniface, 1999:
288). Therefore, it is timely for destinations to develop strategic marketing
plans specifically aimed at young tourists, in an effort to support long-term
tourism. This can and should be achieved by combining a range of marketing
approaches that incorporate creative tourism and cultural education.
Destinations such as Barcelona have a distinctive culture especially when
displayed through entertaining activities produced from the creative indus-
tries that can engage a young audience. As a reminder from the perspective
of Cullingford (1995) and Sutherland and Thompson (2001), young tourists
have the power to influence now and into the future.
References
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Beder, S. (1998) Marketing to children. In
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Belch, G.E., Belch, M.A., Kerr, G. and Powell, I. (2012)
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