A Comparison of Adolescents' and Parents' Holiday Motivations and Desires

Abstract

This paper provides an analysis of the under-researched and under-valued holiday motivations of adolescents and their parents. This work is required for the formulation of effective marketing strategies and product development plans. The data for this paper were gathered in Brisbane, Australia, during 2002 from a convenience sample of 54 parents and 66 adolescents using two questionnaire surveys.

The results show that the types of holiday experiences likely to result in satisfaction for the parents and adolescents often differ. Within the context of the tourism industry the results suggest the need for more focused attention on the holiday needs and desires of adolescents, both in their own right and as part of the family unit.

Keywords

parents adolescents motivations desires

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Addley

(2000) ‘What teens want on holiday’, The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardiantravel/story/0,3605,217598,00.html.

Assael

(1995) ‘Consumer behavior and marketing action’, 5th edn, Kent Publishing Company, Boston, MA.

Australian Bureau of Statistics (2002) ‘Estimated resident population by single year of age’, Australia. http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/Subscriber.nsf/log?openagent&320109.wks&3201.0&Time+Series+−Spreadsheet&CA25687100069892CA25688D00099381&10&Jun+2001&18.12.2001&Latest.

Carr

(2003) ‘University student holiday behaviour: A case study from New Zealand’, Hall

Michael C.

(ed.) ‘Introduction to Tourism: Dimensions and Issues’, 4th edn, Pearson Education, South Melbourne.

Chon

K. S.

(1989) ‘Understanding recreational traveler's motivation, attitude and satisfaction, The Tourist Review, 1, 3–6.

Christensen

James

(2000) ‘Introduction: Researching children and childhood: Cultures of communication’, in Christensen

James

(eds) ‘Research with Children: Perspectives and Practices’, Falmer Press, London, pp. 1–8.

Clarke

J. A.

(1992) ‘Marketing spotlight on the youth “four S's” consumer’, Tourism Management, 13, 3, 321–327.

Coleman

Hendry

(1999) ‘The nature of adolescence’, 3rd edn, Routledge, London.

Connell

W. F.

Stroobant

R. E.

Sinclair

K. E.

Connell

R. W.

Rogers

K. W.

(1975) ‘12 to 20: Studies of City Youth’, Hicks Smith & Sons, Sydney, Australia.

10.

Cooper

Fletcher

Gilbert

Wan-Hill

(1998) ‘Tourism: Principles and Practice’, 2nd edn, Longman, Harlow, UK.

11.

Crompton

(1979) ‘Motivations for pleasure vacation’, Annals of Tourism Research, 6, 408–424.

12.

Cullingford

(1995) ‘Children's attitudes to holidays overseas’, Tourism Management, 16, 2, 121–127.

13.

Culp

R. H.

(1998) ‘Adolescent girls and outdoor recreation: A case study examining constraints and effective programming’, Journal of Leisure Research, 30, 3, 356–379.

14.

Dann

(1977) ‘Anomie, ego-enhancement and tourism’, Annals of Tourism Research, 4, 4, 184–194.

15.

Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics (2005) Table POP1 Child population. http://www.childstats.gov/americaschildren/xls/pop1.xls.

16.

Filiatrault

Ritchie

(1980) ‘Joint purchasing decisions: A comparison of influence structure in family and couple decisions making units’, Journal of Consumer Research, 7, 131–140.

17.

Fodness

(1992) ‘The impact of family life cycle on the vacation decision making process’, Journal of Travel Research, 2, 2, 8–13.

18.

Fodness

(1994) ‘Measuring tourist motivation’, Annals of Tourism Research, 21, 3, 555–581.

19.

Gagnon

(1994) ‘Leisure activities of the young adolescents (age: 12-17)’, World Leisure and Recreation, 36, 1, 19–21.

20.

Glesne

(1999) ‘Becoming qualitative researchers: An introduction’, 2nd edn, Longman, Harlow, UK.

21.

Gnoth

(1997) ‘Tourism motivation and expectation formation’, Annals of Tourism Research, 24, 2, 283–304.

22.

Gram

(2005) ‘Family holidays. A qualitative analysis of family holiday experiences’, Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, 5, 1, 2–22.

23.

Gullotta

T. P.

Adams

G. R.

Markstrom

C. A.

(2000) ‘The adolescent experience’, 4th edn, Academic Press, London.

24.

Hendry

Shucksmith

Love

Glendinning

(1993) ‘Young people's leisure and lifestyles’, Routledge, London.

25.

Horner

Swarbrooke

(2004) ‘International Cases in Tourism Management’, Elsevier, Amsterdam.

26.

Howard

D. R.

Madrigal

(1990) ‘Who makes the decision: The parent or the child? the perceived influence of parents and children on the purchase of recreation services’, Journal of Leisure Research, 22, 3, 244–258.

27.

Iso-Ahola

(1999) ‘Motivational foundations of leisure’, in Jackson

Burton

(eds) ‘Leisure Studies: Prospects for the Twenty-First Century’, Venture Publishing, Inc., State College, PA.

28.

Jenkins

(1978) Family vacation decision-making’, Journal of Travel Research, 16, 4, 2–7.

29.

Kang

Hsu

(2005) ‘Dyadic consensus on family vacation destination selection’, Tourism Management, 26, 4, 571–582.

30.

Kang

Hsu

Wolfe

(2003) ‘Family traveler segmentation by vacation decision-making patterns’, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, 27, 4, 448–469.

31.

Kim

(1999) ‘Cross-cultural perspectives on motivation’, Annals of Tourism Research, 26, 1, 201–204.

32.

Kozak

(2001) ‘Repeaters' behaviour at two distinct destinations’, Annals of Tourism Research, 28, 3, 784–807.

33.

Lawson

(1999) ‘Patterns of tourist expenditure and types of vacation across the family life cycle’, in Pizam

Mansfeld

(eds) ‘Consumer behavior in travel and tourism’, Haworth Hospitality Press, New York, pp. 431–448.

34.

Lawson

(1988) ‘The family life cycle: A demographic analysis’, Journal of Marketing Management, 4, 1, 13–32.

35.

McKendrick

Bradford

Fielder

(2000) ‘Kid customer? Commercialisation of playspace and the commodification of childhood’, Childhood, 7, 3, 295–314.

36.

Madrigal

Havitz

M. E.

Howard

D. R.

(1992) ‘Married couples' involvement with family vacations’, Leisure Sciences, 14, 287–301.

37.

Mansfeld

(1992) ‘From motivation to actual travel’, Annals of Tourism Research, 19, 99–419.

38.

Mathieson

Wall

(1983) ‘Tourism: Economic, physical and social impacts’, Longman, Harlow, UK.

39.

Nichols

C. M.

Snepenger

D. J.

(1999) ‘Family decision making and tourism behaviors and attitudes’, in Pizam

Mansfeld

(eds) ‘Consumer behavior in travel and tourism’, Haworth Hospitality Press, New York, pp. 135–148.

40.

Nickerson

Jurowski

(2001) ‘The influence of children on vacation travel patterns’, Journal of Vacation Marketing, 7, 1, 19–30.

41.

Offer

Ostrov

Howard

K. I.

(1981) ‘The Adolescent: A Psychological Self-portrait’, Basic Books Inc., New York.

42.

O'Kane

(2000) ‘The development of participatory techniques: Facilitating children's views about decisions which affect them’, in Christensen

James

(eds) ‘Research with Children: Perspectives and Practices’, Falmer Press, London, pp. 136–159.

43.

Pasumarty

Dolinsky

Stinerock

Korol

(1996) ‘Consumer behaviour and marketing strategy: A multinational study of children's involvement in the purchase of hospitality services’, Hospitality Research Journal, 19, 4, 87–112.

44.

Pearce

P. L.

(1993) ‘Fundamentals of tourist motivation’, in Pearce

D. G.

Butler

R.W.

(eds) ‘Tourism Research: Critiques and Challenges’, Routledge, London.

45.

Philipp

S. F.

(1998) ‘Race and gender differences in adolescent peer group approval of leisure activities’, Journal of Leisure Research, 30, 2, 214–232.

46.

Pugsley

(1996) ‘Focus groups, young people and sex education’, in Pilcher

Coffey

(eds) ‘Gender and Qualitative Research’, Aldershot, Avebury, pp. 114–130.

47.

Ryan

(1992) ‘The child as a visitor’, in Brent-Ritchie

J. R.

Hawkins

D. E.

(eds) ‘World travel and tourism Review: Indicators, Trends and Issues, Vol. 2’, CAB International, Wallingford, UK.

48.

Ryan

Glendon

(1998) ‘Application of leisure motivation scale to tourism’, Annals of Tourism Research, 25, 1, 169–184.

49.

Scott

(2000) ‘Children as respondents: The challenge for quantitative methods’, in Christensen

James

(eds) ‘Research with Children: Perspectives and Practices’, Falmer Press, London, pp. 98–119.

50.

Seaton

A. V.

(1992) ‘The Great British Family Holiday: A worm's eye, adolescent perspective’, paper presented at Tourism in Europe Conference, Durham, UK.

51.

Seaton

A. V.

Tagg

(1995) ‘The family vacation in Europe: Paedonomic aspects of choices and satisfactions’, Journal of Travel and Tourism Research, 4, 1, 1–21.

52.

Shaw

Williams

(1994) ‘Critical Issues in Tourism: A Geographical Perspective’, Blackwell, Oxford.

53.

Stoppard

(1983) ‘Baby Care Book: A Practical Guide to the First Three Years’, Dorling Kindersley, London.

54.

Swinyard

Sim

(1987) ‘Perception of children's influence on family decision processes’, Journal of Consumer Marketing, 4, 1, 25–39.

55.

Swarbrooke

Horner

(1999) ‘Consumer Behaviour in Tourism’, Butterworth Heinemann, Oxford.

56.

Thornton

Shaw

Williams

(1997) ‘Tourist group holiday decision-making and behaviour: The influence of children’, Tourism Management, 18, 5, 287–297.

57.

Turley

(2001) ‘Children and the demand for recreational experiences: The case of zoos’, Leisure Studies, 20, 1–18.

58.

Wang

K-C.

Hsieh

A-T.

Yeh

Y-C.

Tsai

C-W.

(2004) ‘Who is the decision-maker: The parents or the child in group package tours?’ Tourism Management, 25, 2, 183–194.