Travel surveys are conducted worldwide every day, but ignore an important
segment of the travel industry: children who travel with parents. This paper
provides an insight into conducting surveys on vacationing children, why these
should be considered more often, and what can be gained. Results show children
have a higher response rate than adults, are slightly more satisfied about
conditions at the destination than adults, and provide a perspective about
planning and development to increase child satisfaction at the destination.
For a discussion on the strength of today’s youth in the marketplace
see
McNeal, J.
(1992) ‘Kids as Customers’,
Lexington Books, New York
.
2.
Foxman, E. R.
,
Tansuhaj, P. S.
, and
Ekstrom, K. M.
(1989)
Family Members’ Perceptions of Adolescents’ Influence
in Family Decision Making
, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 15,
March, pp.
482-491
.
3.
The role of the family in purchase decision making is discussed in
Blythe, J.
(1997) ‘The Essence of Consumer
Behavior’,
Prentice Hall, London
, pp. 104-109.
4.
Swarbrooke, J.
and
Horner, S.
(1999) ‘Consumer Behavior in
Tourism’,
Butterworth Heinemann, Oxford
, p. 46.
5.
Andreason, A. R.
(1965) ‘Attitudes and Consumer Behavior: A Decision
Model in New Research in Marketing’ (ed.
L. Preston
),
Berkeley: Institute of Business and Economic Research, University of California
, pp. 1-16.
6.
Pizam, A.
and
Mansfeld, Y.
(1999) ‘Consumer Behavior in Travel and Tourism’Haworth Hospitality Press, New York
, p. 24.
7.
Ritchie, J. R.
and
Filiatrautlt, P.
(1980)
‘Family Vacation Decision Making - A Replication and Extension’
, Journal of Travel Research, Vol. 18, No.
1, pp.
3-14
.
8.
Cosenza, R. M.
and
Davis, D. L.
(1981)
‘Family Vacation Decision Making over the Family’
, Journal of Travel Research, Vol. 19, No.
2, pp.
17-23
.
9.
Fondness, D.
(1992)
‘The Impact of Family Life Cycle on the Vacation Decision-making Process’
, Journal of Travel Research, Vol. 31, No.
2, pp.
8-13
.
10.
Donaton, S.
(1992)
‘As Kids Speak, Magazines Read ’Tween Lines’
, Advertising Age, Vol. 63, No. 6, p.
S-4
.
11.
Ibid.
12.
Spethmann, B.
(1992)
‘Marketing to Kids’
, Advertising Age, Vol. 63, No. 6, p.
S-1
.
13.
Goldstein, S.
(1997)
‘Firm Gives Data on Who’s Buying “Mission: Impossible”’
, Billboard, Vol. 109, No. 3, p.
70
.
14.
John, D. R.
and
Lakshmi-Ratan, R.
(1992)
‘Age Differences in Children’s Choice Behavior: The
Impact of Available Alternatives’
, Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 29, No.
2, pp.
216-237
.
15.
Cantwell, J.
(2000)
‘Marketing is Kids Stuff’
, Automotive News, Vol. 74, No. 5874, p.
26
.
16.
Cullingford, C.
(1995)
‘Children’s Attitudes to Holidays Overseas
. Tourism Management, Vol. 16, No. 2, pp.
121-127
.
17.
Fondness, D.
and
Murry, B. A.
(1999)
‘Model of Tourist Information Search Behavior’
, Journal of Travel Research, Vol. 37, No.
3, pp.
220-221
.
18.
van Veen, W. M. O
and
Vehailen, T. W. M.
(1986)
‘Vacation Market Segmentation: A Domain-Specific Value Approach’
, Annals of Tourism Research, Vol. 13, No.
1, pp.
37-58
.
19.
Spots, D. M.
and
Mahoney, E. M.
(1993)
‘Understanding the Fall Tourism Market’
, Journal of Travel Research, Vol. 32, No.
2, p.
3015
.
20.
Chen, P.-J.
and
Kerstetter, D. L.
(1999)
‘International Students’ Image of Rural Pennsylvania as
a Travel Destination’
, Journal of Travel Research, Vol. 37, No.
3, pp.
256-266
.
21.
Shoemaker, S.
(1994)
Segmenting the U.S. Travel Market According to Benefits Realized’
, Journal of Travel Research, Vol. 32, No.
3, pp.
8-21
.
22.
See ref. 16 above
23.
Travel Industry Association of America
(1999)
‘2000 Domestic Outlook for Travel’
, Proceedings of the Travel Industry Association of
America’s 25th Annual Marketing Outlook Forum,
20th-23rd October 1999, Pittsburgh, PA,
p.
75
.
24.
Ibid., p. 211.
25.
Ibid., p. 69.
26.
Fisher, C.
(1994)
‘Kidding Around Makes Sense’
, Advertising Age, Vol. 65, No. 27, pp.
34(2)
.
27.
See ref. 12 above.
28.
Lasley, P.
and
Harryman, E.
(1997)
‘Hotels Cater to Family Vacations’
, Christian Science Monitor, Vol. 89, No.
186, p.
12
.
29.
Spethmann, B.
(1992)
‘Young Travelers Exposed to Hyatt Touch’
, Advertising Age, Vol. 63, No. 6, p.
S-6
.
30.
Alcoholism Report
(1992)
‘Two Youth Surveys Released; Alcohol Remains Drug of Choice’
, Alcoholism Report, Vol. 20, No. 12, pp.
2-3
.
Vingilis, E.
and
Wade, T. J.
(1998)
‘What Factors Predict Student Self-rated Physical Health?’
, Journal of Adolescence, Vol. 21, No. 1,
pp.
83-98
.
33.
Rodriquez, O.
and
Weisburd, D.
(1991)
‘The Integrated Social Control Model and Ethnicity’
, Criminal Behavior and Justice, Vol. 18, No.
4, pp.
464-479
.
Goldstein, S.
(1995)
‘Kid-vid Research Grows Up’
, Billboard, Vol. 107, No. 20, pp.
60-65
.
37.
See ref. 29 above, p. S-1.
38.
John, D. R
and
Lakshmi-Ratan, R.
(1992)
‘Age Differences in Children’s Choice Behavior: The
Impact of Available Alternatives’
, Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 29, No.
2, pp.
216-226
.
39.
Kermit, P.
(1992)
‘10 Tips from the Top Agency’
, Advertising Age, Vol. 65, No. 27, p.
S-6
.
40.
See refs 12 and 29 above.
41.
Rickard, L.
(1995)
‘Kids a Touch of a Button Away — to Marketer Delight’
, Advertising Age, Vol. 66, No. 7, p.
S-4
.
42.
Consumer Reports
(1999)
‘Market Research in the Classroom’
, Consumer Reports, Vol. 65, No. 6, p.
6
.
43.
See ref. 34 above and
Tabor, M. B. W.
(1990)
‘Schools Profit from Offering Pupils for Market Research’
, New York Times, 148(Issue 51483), p.
A1
.
44.
and Tabor, ref. 43 above.
45.
McCarter, K. M.
(1995)
‘Kids and Research: Risky Business?’
, Marketing Research, Vol. 7, No. 2, pp.
38-40
.
46.
see ref. 2 above, p. 482.
47.
Beatty, S. E.
and
Talpade, S.
(1994)
‘Adolescent Influence in Family Decision Making’
, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 21,
September, pp.
332-341
.
48.
Ibid.
49.
Ibid.
50.
Edwards, C.
(1994)
‘Young and Restless’
, PATA Travel News-Asia Pacific, December, pp.
9-18
.
51.
Power, C.
,
George, G. D.
and
Foust, D.
(1991)
‘Getting Them While They are Young’
, Business Week, September 9th (3230), p.
94
.
52.
Lasley, P.
and
Harryman, E.
(1997)
‘Hotels Cater to Family Vacationers’
, Christian Science Monitor, Vol. 89, No.
186, p.
12
.
53.
See ref. 26 above.
54.
See ref. 28 above.
55.
Glitter, K.
(1993)
‘The Family-Travel Specialists’
, Travel Holiday, Vol. 176, No. 6, p.
20
.
56.
Kerwin, A. M.
(1998)
‘AmEx, Time Inc. Ready Family Travel Magazines’
, Advertising Age, Vol. 69, No. 10, p.
10
.
57.
Bates, C. D.
and
LaTempa, S.
(2000)
‘Times to Remember’
, Working Mother, Vol. 23, No. 7, p.
86
.
