Analisi delle motivazioni alla base del turismo matrimoniale: un’indagine esplorativa (Analysis of the motivations behind marriage tourism: an exploratory survey)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7433/s101.2016.09Keywords:
wedding-based tourism, motivations, consumer value, experiential approachAbstract
Purpose of the paper: This study focuses on wedding-based tourism, which refers to tourist flows generated by weddings celebrated in a destination where neither the bride nor the groom reside. Specifically, this paper aims at shedding light on the motivations that drive couples to celebrate their wedding outside their hometown.
Methodology: The study is exploratory and mainly based on a qualitative approach. A semi-structured interview protocol was sent via email to 38 couples who opted for a destination wedding; data was then triangulated managing interviews with experts in the sector.
Findings: Findings suggest that the couples’ decision making is mainly driven by functional, social, emotional and altruistic motivations, thus suggesting the appropriateness of the experiential approach in interpreting the phenomenon based on a demand-side perspective.
Research limits and practical implications: The study is qualitative and exploratory in nature; hence, findings cannot be generalized. Further the fact that the interviews were managed via email could have introduced some biases in the interpretation of data. Despite this, the research provides useful information for destination marketers and policymakers attempting to plan and implement marketing strategies aimed at expanding the size of the market.
Originality of the paper: This study contributes to the growing scientific debate related to wedding-based tourism and provides researchers useful information that can be used to contribute to the development of items and scale to be used to carry out a quantitative study.
References
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BARTOLAZZI F.V., FORTEZZA F., FORLANI F. (2008), “Caratteri e potenzialità degli eventi come esperienze mediterranee: il caso Palio de lo Daino”, Mercati e Competitività, n. 4, pp. 71-99.
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BERTELLA G. (2015), “Celebrating the family abroad: the wedding tourism experience”, Annals of Leisure Research, (ahead-of-print), 1-17.
BOWDIN G., ALLEN J., O’TOOLE W., HARRIS R., MCDONNEL I. (2006), Events Management, 2nd edn., Elsevier, Oxford, UK.
CHADIHA L.A, LEBER D., VEOFF J. (1998), “Newlyweds’ narrative themes: meaning in the first year of marriage for African American and white couples”, Journal of Comparative Family Studies, vol. 29, n. 1, pp. 115-130.
CLOKE P., PERKINS H.C. (1998), “Cracking the canyon of the awesome foursome: Representations of adventure tourism in New Zealand”, Environment and Planning D: Society and Space, vol. 16, n. 2, pp. 185-218.
CORREIA A., OOM DO VALLE P., MOÇO C. (2007), “Why people travel to exotic places”, International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, vol. 1, n. 1, pp. 45-61.
CRESWELL I.W., CLARK V.P.L. (eds) (2011), Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research, 2nd edn., Sage, London, UK.
DALLI D., ROMANI S. (2003), Il comportamento del consumatore. Acquisti e consumi in una prospettiva di marketing, Franco Angeli, Milano.
DANIELS M., LOVELESS C. (2007), Wedding Planning & Management, Elsevier, Oxford, UK.
DEL CHIAPPA G. (2016), “Wedding-based tourism”, in Jafari J., Xiao H. (eds), Encylopedia of Tourism, p. 1018, Springer, Switzerland.
DEL CHIAPPA G., FORTEZZA F. (2014), “The motivations for wedding tourism: a demand-side perspective”, in Kozak M., Kozak N. (eds), Proceedings of 7th World Graduate Conference for Graduate Research in Tourism, Hospitality and Leisure, Istanbul, Turkey.
DEL CHIAPPA G., FORTEZZA F. (2015), “Wedding-based tourism development: an exploratory analysis in the context of Italy”, in Gnoth J., Kozak M., Correia A., Fyall A. (eds), Places and Spaces, Emerald, Bingley, UK.
ELLIS S., KRUGER S., SAAYMAN M. (2014), “The influence of travel motives on visitor happiness attending a wedding expo”, Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing, vol. 31, n. 5, pp. 649-665.
FABRIS G. (2008), Societing. Il marketing nella società postmoderna, Egea, Milano.
FERRARI S. (2002), Event Marketing. I grandi eventi e gli eventi speciali come strumenti di marketing, Cedam, Padova.
FORTEZZA F. (2010), “Gli eventi locali come esperienze mediterranee: ruolo per lo sviluppo turistico del territorio”, in Pencarelli T. (a cura di), Marketing e Management del Turismo, Edizioni Goliardiche, Trieste.
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GOLDBATT J. (2002), Special Events: Twenty-first Century Global Event Management, John Wiley & Sons, Inc, New York.
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HOFSTEDE G. (1991), Cultures and organizations. Software of the mind, McGraw-Hill, London.
HOLBROOK M.B. (1999), Consumer value. A Framework for Analysis and Research, Routledge, London, UK.
HOLBROOK M.B., HIRSCHMAN E.C. (1982), “The experiential aspects of consumption: consumer fantasies, feelings and fun”, Journal of Consumer Research, vol. 9, n. 2, pp. 132-140.
HUDSON S., RITCHIE J.R.B. (2006), “Promoting destination via film tourism: An empirical identification of supporting marketing initiatives”, Journal of Travel Research, n. 44, pp. 387-396.
INGRAHAM C. (1999), White Weddings: Romancing Heterosexuality in Popular Culture, Routledge, New York.
JANG H., LEE S., LEE S.W., HONG S.K. (2007), “Expanding the individual choice-sets model to couples’ honeymoon destination selection process”, Tourism Management, vol. 28, n. 5), 1299-1314.
JFC (2012), Wedding tourism, Disponibile a: http://www.jfc.it/blog/wedding-tourism-sposarsi-in-italia/ (ultimo accesso: 25 Gennaio 2014).
JOHNSTON L. (2006), “‘I do down-under’: Naturalizing landscapes and love through wedding tourism in New Zealand”, ACME, vol. 5, n. 2, pp. 191-208.
KACEN J.J., LEE J.A. (2002), “The influence of culture on consumer impulsive buying behavior”, Journal of Consumer Psychology, vol. 12, n. 2, pp. 163-176.
KIM S.S., AGRUSA J. (2005), “The positioning of overseas honeymoon destinations”, Annals of Tourism Research, vol. 32, n. 4, pp. 887-904.
LAING J., WHEELER F., REEVES K., FROST W. (2014), “Assessing the experiential value of heritage assets: a case study of a Chinese heritage precinct”, Tourism Management, n. 40, pp. 180-192.
LEE C.F., HUANG H.I., CHEN W.C. (2010), “The determinants of honeymoon destination choice. The case of Taiwan”, Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing, vol. 27, n. 7, pp., 676-693.
LEE C.K., LEE Y.K., WICKS B.E. (2004), “Segmentation of festival motivation by nationality and satisfaction”, Tourism Management, vol. 25, n. 1, pp. 61-70.
LU A.C.C., CHEN B.T. (2014), “Information search behavior of independent travelers: A cross-cultural comparison between Chinese, Japanese, and American travelers”, Journal of Hospitality Marketing and Management, vol. 23, n. 8, pp. 865-884.
MAJOR B., MCLEAY F., WAINE D. (2010), “Perfect weddings abroad”, Journal of Vacation Marketing, vol. 16, n. 3, pp. 249-262.
MARSHALL B., CARDON P., PODDAR A. FONTENOT, R. (2013), “Does sample size matter in qualitative research: a review of qualitative interviews in IS research”, Journal of Computer Information Systems, n. 54, pp. 11-22.
MCCARTY J.A., SHRUM L.J. (2001), “The Influence of Individualism, Collectivism, and Locus of Control on Environmental Beliefs and Behavior”, Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, vol. 20, n. 1, pp. 93-104.
MOIRA P., MYLONOPOULOS D., PARTHENIS S. (2011), “A sociological approach to wedding travel. A case study: honeymooners in Ioannina, Greece”, in Hummel F. (ed.), Proceedings of the 2011 Annual International Society of Travel and Tourism Educators (ISTTE) Conference, International Society of Travel and Tourism Educators, St. Clair Shores, MI, USA, pp. 77-97.
PATTON M.Q. (2002), Qualitative research and evaluation methods, Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA.
PENCARELLI T., FORLANI F. (2002), “Il marketing dei distretti turistici-sistemi vitali nell’economia delle esperienze”, Sinergie, n. 58, pp. 231-277.
PINE B.J., GILMORE J.H. (1999), The Experience Economy. Work is Theatre & Every Business a Stage, Harvard Business School Press, Boston.
PIZAM A., SUSSMANN S. (1995), “Does nationality affect tourist behavior?”, Annals of Tourism Research, vol. 22, n. 4, pp. 901-917
RHEINBERG F. (1995), Psicologia della motivazione, Il Mulino, Bologna.
SAUNDERS M.N.K. (2012), “Choosing research participants”, in Symon G., Cassell C. (a cura di), Qualitative organizational research: core methods and current challenges, Sage, London.
SCHUMANN F.R., AMADO C. (2010), “Japanese overseas weddings in Guam: a case study of Guam’s first hotel wedding chapel”, South Asian Journal of Tourism and Heritage, vol. 3, n. 1, pp. 173-181.
WOODWARD M.N., HOLBROOK M.B. (2013), “Dialogue on some concepts, definitions and issues pertaining to ‘consumption experiences’”, Marketing Theory, vol. 13, n. 3, pp. 323-344.
WORLD TOURISM ORGANIZATION (2012), Global Report on LGBT Tourism, AM Reports, vol. III.
AROSIO L. (2010), “Il turismo matrimoniale tra tradizione e mete esclusive”, in Marra E., Ruspini E., Altri turismi. Viaggi, esperienze, emozioni, Franco Angeli, Milano.
BARTOLAZZI F.V., FORTEZZA F., FORLANI F. (2008), “Caratteri e potenzialità degli eventi come esperienze mediterranee: il caso Palio de lo Daino”, Mercati e Competitività, n. 4, pp. 71-99.
BEETON S. (2005), Film-induced tourism, Channel View Publications, Bristol, UK.
BERTELLA G. (2015), “Celebrating the family abroad: the wedding tourism experience”, Annals of Leisure Research, (ahead-of-print), 1-17.
BOWDIN G., ALLEN J., O’TOOLE W., HARRIS R., MCDONNEL I. (2006), Events Management, 2nd edn., Elsevier, Oxford, UK.
CHADIHA L.A, LEBER D., VEOFF J. (1998), “Newlyweds’ narrative themes: meaning in the first year of marriage for African American and white couples”, Journal of Comparative Family Studies, vol. 29, n. 1, pp. 115-130.
CLOKE P., PERKINS H.C. (1998), “Cracking the canyon of the awesome foursome: Representations of adventure tourism in New Zealand”, Environment and Planning D: Society and Space, vol. 16, n. 2, pp. 185-218.
CORREIA A., OOM DO VALLE P., MOÇO C. (2007), “Why people travel to exotic places”, International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, vol. 1, n. 1, pp. 45-61.
CRESWELL I.W., CLARK V.P.L. (eds) (2011), Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research, 2nd edn., Sage, London, UK.
DALLI D., ROMANI S. (2003), Il comportamento del consumatore. Acquisti e consumi in una prospettiva di marketing, Franco Angeli, Milano.
DANIELS M., LOVELESS C. (2007), Wedding Planning & Management, Elsevier, Oxford, UK.
DEL CHIAPPA G. (2016), “Wedding-based tourism”, in Jafari J., Xiao H. (eds), Encylopedia of Tourism, p. 1018, Springer, Switzerland.
DEL CHIAPPA G., FORTEZZA F. (2014), “The motivations for wedding tourism: a demand-side perspective”, in Kozak M., Kozak N. (eds), Proceedings of 7th World Graduate Conference for Graduate Research in Tourism, Hospitality and Leisure, Istanbul, Turkey.
DEL CHIAPPA G., FORTEZZA F. (2015), “Wedding-based tourism development: an exploratory analysis in the context of Italy”, in Gnoth J., Kozak M., Correia A., Fyall A. (eds), Places and Spaces, Emerald, Bingley, UK.
ELLIS S., KRUGER S., SAAYMAN M. (2014), “The influence of travel motives on visitor happiness attending a wedding expo”, Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing, vol. 31, n. 5, pp. 649-665.
FABRIS G. (2008), Societing. Il marketing nella società postmoderna, Egea, Milano.
FERRARI S. (2002), Event Marketing. I grandi eventi e gli eventi speciali come strumenti di marketing, Cedam, Padova.
FORTEZZA F. (2010), “Gli eventi locali come esperienze mediterranee: ruolo per lo sviluppo turistico del territorio”, in Pencarelli T. (a cura di), Marketing e Management del Turismo, Edizioni Goliardiche, Trieste.
FORTEZZA F., DEL CHIAPPA G. (2012), “Il wedding-based tourism come leva di valorizzazione territoriale”, in Referred Electronic Conference Proceedings of XXIV Convegno annuale di Sinergie: Il territorio come giacimento di vitalità per l’impresa, Università del Salento, Lecce, Italy, pp. 329-342.
FREEMAN E. (2002), The Wedding Complex: Forms of Belonging in Modern American Culture, Duke University Press, Durham and London, UK.
GALLARZA M.G., GIL I. (2008), “The concept of value and its dimensions. A tool for analysing tourism experiences”, Tourism Review, vol. 63, n. 3, pp. 4-20.
GALLARZA M.G., GIL-SAURA I.G., HOLBROOK M.B. (2011), “The value of value: Further excursions on the meaning and role of customer value”, Journal of Consumer Behaviour, vol. 10, n. 4, pp. 179-191.
GETZ D. (2008), “Event tourism: definition, evolution, and research”, Tourism Management, vol. 29, n. 3, pp. 403-428.
GOLDBATT J. (2002), Special Events: Twenty-first Century Global Event Management, John Wiley & Sons, Inc, New York.
GOLDSMITH R.E., TSIOTSOU R.H. (2012), “Introduction to experiential marketing”, in Tsiotsou R.H., Goldsmith R.E. (eds), Strategic Marketing in Tourism Services, Bingley, Emerald, pp. XXXII-XL.
HOFSTEDE G. (1991), Cultures and organizations. Software of the mind, McGraw-Hill, London.
HOLBROOK M.B. (1999), Consumer value. A Framework for Analysis and Research, Routledge, London, UK.
HOLBROOK M.B., HIRSCHMAN E.C. (1982), “The experiential aspects of consumption: consumer fantasies, feelings and fun”, Journal of Consumer Research, vol. 9, n. 2, pp. 132-140.
HUDSON S., RITCHIE J.R.B. (2006), “Promoting destination via film tourism: An empirical identification of supporting marketing initiatives”, Journal of Travel Research, n. 44, pp. 387-396.
INGRAHAM C. (1999), White Weddings: Romancing Heterosexuality in Popular Culture, Routledge, New York.
JANG H., LEE S., LEE S.W., HONG S.K. (2007), “Expanding the individual choice-sets model to couples’ honeymoon destination selection process”, Tourism Management, vol. 28, n. 5), 1299-1314.
JFC (2012), Wedding tourism, Disponibile a: http://www.jfc.it/blog/wedding-tourism-sposarsi-in-italia/ (ultimo accesso: 25 Gennaio 2014).
JOHNSTON L. (2006), “‘I do down-under’: Naturalizing landscapes and love through wedding tourism in New Zealand”, ACME, vol. 5, n. 2, pp. 191-208.
KACEN J.J., LEE J.A. (2002), “The influence of culture on consumer impulsive buying behavior”, Journal of Consumer Psychology, vol. 12, n. 2, pp. 163-176.
KIM S.S., AGRUSA J. (2005), “The positioning of overseas honeymoon destinations”, Annals of Tourism Research, vol. 32, n. 4, pp. 887-904.
LAING J., WHEELER F., REEVES K., FROST W. (2014), “Assessing the experiential value of heritage assets: a case study of a Chinese heritage precinct”, Tourism Management, n. 40, pp. 180-192.
LEE C.F., HUANG H.I., CHEN W.C. (2010), “The determinants of honeymoon destination choice. The case of Taiwan”, Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing, vol. 27, n. 7, pp., 676-693.
LEE C.K., LEE Y.K., WICKS B.E. (2004), “Segmentation of festival motivation by nationality and satisfaction”, Tourism Management, vol. 25, n. 1, pp. 61-70.
LU A.C.C., CHEN B.T. (2014), “Information search behavior of independent travelers: A cross-cultural comparison between Chinese, Japanese, and American travelers”, Journal of Hospitality Marketing and Management, vol. 23, n. 8, pp. 865-884.
MAJOR B., MCLEAY F., WAINE D. (2010), “Perfect weddings abroad”, Journal of Vacation Marketing, vol. 16, n. 3, pp. 249-262.
MARSHALL B., CARDON P., PODDAR A. FONTENOT, R. (2013), “Does sample size matter in qualitative research: a review of qualitative interviews in IS research”, Journal of Computer Information Systems, n. 54, pp. 11-22.
MCCARTY J.A., SHRUM L.J. (2001), “The Influence of Individualism, Collectivism, and Locus of Control on Environmental Beliefs and Behavior”, Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, vol. 20, n. 1, pp. 93-104.
MOIRA P., MYLONOPOULOS D., PARTHENIS S. (2011), “A sociological approach to wedding travel. A case study: honeymooners in Ioannina, Greece”, in Hummel F. (ed.), Proceedings of the 2011 Annual International Society of Travel and Tourism Educators (ISTTE) Conference, International Society of Travel and Tourism Educators, St. Clair Shores, MI, USA, pp. 77-97.
PATTON M.Q. (2002), Qualitative research and evaluation methods, Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA.
PENCARELLI T., FORLANI F. (2002), “Il marketing dei distretti turistici-sistemi vitali nell’economia delle esperienze”, Sinergie, n. 58, pp. 231-277.
PINE B.J., GILMORE J.H. (1999), The Experience Economy. Work is Theatre & Every Business a Stage, Harvard Business School Press, Boston.
PIZAM A., SUSSMANN S. (1995), “Does nationality affect tourist behavior?”, Annals of Tourism Research, vol. 22, n. 4, pp. 901-917
RHEINBERG F. (1995), Psicologia della motivazione, Il Mulino, Bologna.
SAUNDERS M.N.K. (2012), “Choosing research participants”, in Symon G., Cassell C. (a cura di), Qualitative organizational research: core methods and current challenges, Sage, London.
SCHUMANN F.R., AMADO C. (2010), “Japanese overseas weddings in Guam: a case study of Guam’s first hotel wedding chapel”, South Asian Journal of Tourism and Heritage, vol. 3, n. 1, pp. 173-181.
WOODWARD M.N., HOLBROOK M.B. (2013), “Dialogue on some concepts, definitions and issues pertaining to ‘consumption experiences’”, Marketing Theory, vol. 13, n. 3, pp. 323-344.
WORLD TOURISM ORGANIZATION (2012), Global Report on LGBT Tourism, AM Reports, vol. III.
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2016-12-22
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