Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
details such as how long visitors stay at particular
rides at theme parks, the direction in which they travel
between rides, any comments they make, what retail
facilities they use, etc.
Activity 5.11
Working with a partner and following the above
guidelines, design a self-completed questionnaire
that could be used in a local tourist attraction to
provide basic information on visitors to the facility
and their views on quality, standards of customer
service, etc. Explain how this method of market
research would contribute towards the attraction
meeting its objectives.
Focus group reports
Focus groups give organisations an opportunity to
discover what infl uences an individual's purchasing
decisions - for example, why does somebody prefer
to fl y with airline A rather than airline B? This in-depth
information is not easy to obtain from questionnaire
surveys or observation, but focus group sessions give
respondents the time to refl ect and consider in detail
why they make the decisions they do. A focus group
usually consists of up to 10 consumers under the
guidance of a skilled interviewer. The interviewer will
use a number of techniques to explore the innermost
thoughts and values of the members of the group. The
sessions are generally taped or video-recorded for
future analysis and will often signal changes of direction
in terms of product range or promotional activities.
Given the intensive nature of the focus group, it is an
expensive method of gaining primary research material
and tends, therefore, to be used mainly by larger travel
and tourism organisations. Once the focus group has
fi nished, the interviewer will write a report on the main
fi ndings for the company concerned.
This activity is designed to provide evidence for
P4 and M3.
Observation checklists
As well as carrying out surveys, some travel and tourism
organisations make use of observation as a method
of collecting primary research data. It is particularly
suitable for visitor attractions such as theme parks, art
galleries and museums. Observation is practised in
many large attractions with the help of sophisticated
techniques such as closed circuit television (CCTV) and
time-lapse photography, and can produce valuable
information on the fl ow of people and traffi c. Electronic
tally counters are used in attractions, leisure centres
and tourist information centres to monitor usage. On
occasions, staff may be asked to mingle with visitors
or customers and to eavesdrop on their conversations
without revealing their identities. People are often far
more honest about their true feelings when talking in
private, than they would be when asked questions as
part of a survey.
Feedback cards
Feedback cards or customer comment forms are
a good way of getting immediate feedback from
customers. You will fi nd them used throughout the
travel and tourism sector, from hotels and restaurants
to attractions and events. Management use this form of
market research to monitor trends and make changes
to products and services.
Observation has an important role to play in researching
competitors' products. There are very few products,
services and facilities in travel or tourism that are truly
unique, most having been based on an idea seen
elsewhere. It is not uncommon for hoteliers, travel
agents and airlines, for example, to use the facilities of
competitors in order to pick up new tips and improve
their own products. They sometimes employ 'mystery
shoppers' to report on their competitors' (and even
their own!) facilities and standards of service.
Secondary research sources
Figure 5.9 on page 193 shows us that secondary data
can come from a variety of internal and external sources.
An organisation's own internal sources could include
sales records, customer databases, gate receipts, visitor
records and mailing lists. External research sources
include trade directories such as the
World Travel
Guide
, local and central government departments,
Observation checklists are used to record the
movement and behaviour of people, as well as the
fl ow of vehicles, in tourist facilities. Observers record
