The purpose of this study is to explore household tourism decision making. There
is an extensive literature on consumer choice in general.1-3 In terms
of tourism, the main focus has been on motivational factors,4-6 but
as part of the emergence of a literature which studies the issues of tourism and
gender, there are some authors who focus on holiday decision
making.7-9 In this context the focus here is on the distinctive roles
and power relations within a couple. The study is exploratory in nature and
employs a self-administered questionnaire.
It is concluded that the overall consumption of a holiday is largely a joint
decision, but when the purchase is broken down into different stages females
have a dominant role in the early stages of the process, possibly making them
the gatekeepers.
Foxall, G.
(1997) ‘Consumer rules’, in
Brown, S.
and
Turley, D.
(eds) ‘Consumer Research, Postcards from the
Edge’,
Routledge, London
, pp. 263-299.
2.
Holbrook, M. B.
(1993)
‘Nostalgia and consumption preferences: Some emerging patterns of
consumer taste’
, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 20, pp.
245-256
.
3.
Solomon, Michael R.
and
Englis, Basil G.
(1997) ‘Breaking out of the box: Is lifestyle a
construct or a construction?’, in
Brown, S.
and
Turley, D.
(eds) ‘Consumer Research, Postcards from the
Edge’,
Routledge, London
, pp. 322-349.
4.
Holt, D.
(1995)
‘How consumers consume: A typology of consumption practices’
, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 22, No.
4, pp.
1-16
.
5.
Dann, G.
(1988) ‘Writing out the Tourist in Space and
Time’,
Elsevier Science, London
.
6.
McIntosh, R. W.
,
Goeldner, C. R.
and
Richie, J. R. B.
(1995) ‘Tourism: Principles, Practices and
Philosophies’, 2nd edn,
John Wiley, Chichester
.
7.
Fodness, D.
(1992)
‘The impact of family life cycle on the vacation decision-making process’
, Journal of Travel Research, Vol. 31, pp.
8-13
.
8.
Zalatan, A.
(1998)
‘Wives’ involvement in tourism decision processes’
, Annals of Tourism Research, Vol. 25, No.
4, pp.
890-903
.
9.
Filiatrault, P.
and
Ritchie, J.
(1980)
‘Joint purchasing decisions: A comparison of influence structure
in family and couple decision-making units’
, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 7,
September, pp.
131-140
.
10.
Cohen, E.
(1995) ‘Contemporary tourism trends and
challenges: Sustainable authenticity or contrived
post-modernity?’, in
Butler, R.
and
Pearce, D.
(eds) ‘Change in Tourism, People, Places,
Processes’,
Routledge, London
, pp. 12-29.
11.
Cooper, C. P.
(1998) ‘Tourism Principles and
Practice’, 2nd edn,
Longman, London
.
12.
Pearce, P.
(1992) ‘Fundamentals of tourism
motivation’, in
Pearce, D.
and
Butler, R.
(eds) ‘Tourism Research: Critiques and
Challenges’,
Routledge, London
, pp. 113-134.
13.
Ibid.
14.
Bray, R.
and
Raitz, V.
(2001) ‘Flight to the Sun: The Story of the Holiday
Revolution’,
Continuum, London
.
15.
Dellaert, B.
,
Prodigalidad, M.
and
Louviere, J.
(1998)
‘Using conjoint analysis to study family travel preference
structures: A comparison of day trips and one-week holidays
, Tourism Analysis, Vol. 2, No. 2, pp.
67-75
.
16.
Belch, M.
and
Willis, L.
(2002)
‘Family decision at the turn of the century: Has the changing
structure of households impacted the family decision-making process?’
, Journal of Consumer Behaviour, Vol. 2, No.
2, pp.
111-124
17.
Nickerson, P.
and
Jurowski, C.
(2001)
‘The influence of children on vacation travel patterns’
, Journal of Vacation Marketing, Vol. 7, No.
1, pp.
19-30
.
18.
Goeldner, C.
,
Ritchie, B.
and
McIntosh, R.
(2000) ‘Tourism: Principles, Practices,
Philosophies’, 8th edn,
John Wiley, New York
.
19.
Webster, C.
and
Rice, S.
(1996)
‘Equity theory and the power structure in a marital relationship’
, Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 23, pp.
491-497
.
20.
Schmoll, G.
(1977) ‘Tourism Promotion’,
Tourism International Press, London
.
21.
Mayo, E.
and
Jarvis, L.
(1981) ‘The Psychology of Leisure
Travel’,
CBI Publishing, Boston, MA
.
22.
Mathieson, A.
and
Wall, G.
(1982) ‘Tourism: Economic, Physical and Social
Impacts’,
Longman, London
.
23.
McIntosh et al., ref. 6 above.
24.
Mazursky, D.
(1989)
‘Past experience and future tourism decisions’
, Annals of Tourism Research, Vol. 16, No.
3, pp.
333-344
.
25.
Madrigal, R.
,
Havitz, M. E.
and
Howard, D. R.
(1992)
‘Married couples’ involvement with family vacations’
, Leisure Sciences, Vol. 14, pp.
283-301
.
26.
Becker, G. A.
(1991) ‘Treatise on the Family’,
Harvard University Press, Boston, MA
.
27.
Himmelweit, S.
(1998) ‘Decision making in
households’, in
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, (eds) ‘Understanding Economic Behaviour:
Households’,
Open University, Milton Keynes
, pp. 181-219.
28.
Burgoyne, C.
(1995)
‘Financial organisation and decision-making within Western “households”’
, Journal of Economic Psychology, Vol. 16, pp.
421-430
.
29.
Blood, R.
and
Wolfe, D.
(1960) ‘Husbands and Wives; The Dynamics of Married
Living’,
Free Press, New York
, p. 21.
30.
Pahl, J.
(1990)
‘Household spending, personal spending and the control of money
in marriage’
, Sociology, Vol. 24, No. 1, pp.
119-138
.
31.
Pahl, J.
(1995)
‘His money her money: Recent research on financial organisation
in marriage’
, Journal of Economic Psychology, Vol. 16, pp.
361-376
.
32.
Swaine, M.
(1995)
‘Gender in tourism’
, Annals of Tourism Research, Vol. 22, No.
2, pp.
247-266
.
33.
Davidson, P.
(1996)
‘The holiday and work experiences of women with young children’
, Leisure Studies, Vol. 15, pp.
89-103
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34.
Deem, R.
(1996)
‘Women, the city and holidays’
, Leisure Studies, Vol. 15, pp.
105-119
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35.
Kay, T.
(2000)
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, Leisure Studies, Vol. 19, pp.
247-265
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36.
Pritchard, A.
(2001)
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, Leisure Studies, Vol. 20, pp.
79-94
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37.
Kinnaird, V.
and
Hall, D.
(1994) ‘Tourism: A Gender
Analysis’,
John Wiley, Chichester
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38.
Kinnaird, V.
and
Hall, D.
(2000)
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1, pp.
71-84
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39.
Blood and Wolfe, ref. 29 above.
40.
Van Raaij, W.
and
Francken, D.
(1984)
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, Annals of Tourism Research, Vol. 11, No.
1, pp.
101-112
.
41.
Nichols, C.
and
Snepenger, D.
(1988)
‘Family decision making and tourism: Behavior and attitudes’
, Journal of Travel Research, Vol. 26, pp.
2-6
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42.
Fodness, ref. 7 above.
43.
Filiatrault and Ritchie, ref. 9 above.
44.
Zalatan, ref. 8 above.
45.
Engel, J.
and
Blackwell, R.
(1982) ‘Consumer Behaviour’,
Dryden, Chicago
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46.
Mathieson and Wall, ref. 22 above.
47.
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48.
Blood and Wolfe, ref. 29 above.
49.
Plank, R.
,
Greene, R.
and
Greene, J.
(1994)
‘Understanding which spouse makes financial decisions’
, Journal of Retail Banking, Vol. 16, No.
1, pp.
21-26
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50.
Pahl, ref. 31 above
51.
Davidson, ref. 33 above.
52.
Robinson, M.
(2000) ‘Preface’, in
Robinson, M.
,
Long, P.
,
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,
Sharpley, R.
and
Swarbroooke, J.
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53.
McIntosh et al., ref. 6 above.
54.
Fodness, D.
and
Murray, B.
(1999)
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55.
Hannefors, M.
and
Mossberg, L. L.
(1998)
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56.
Moutinho, L.
(1987)
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57.
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58.
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(1978)
‘Family vacation decision making’
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.
59.
Pritchard, ref. 36 above.
60.
Blood and Wolfe, ref. 29 above.
61.
Cohen, ref. 10 above.
62.
Cooper, ref. 11 above.
63.
Pearce, ref. 12 above.
64.
Pahl, ref. 31 above.
65.
Davidson, ref. 33 above.
66.
Raymore, L.
(1995)
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202-216
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