Managing Educational Tourism (Aspects of Tourism) by Dr. Brent W. Ritchie

Author:Dr. Brent W. Ritchie [Ritchie, Dr. Brent W.]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Channel View Publications
Published: 2003-01-09T05:00:00+00:00

Introduction

From a tourism marketing perspective, those people who take part in an activity represent existing demand while those individuals who express an interest but do not participate because of particular constraints represent potential or latent demand. The value of understanding those factors that act as a barrier or impediment between the ‘preference for an activity’ and participation in it (Crawford & Godbey, 1987) lies in awareness, which allows the marketer to convert that latent demand into existing demand. Constraints on the demand for travel are well documented in the tourism economic (Bull, 1995) and leisure literature (Godbey, 1990; Goodale, 1992; Jackson & Scott, 1999). Two major themes have emerged in research: activity-specific participation and the impediments or constraints facing particular segments of the population. In the case of the former, studies have centred on the barriers causing – non-participation in specific activities such as sport and recreation (Backman & Crompton, 1989), while research into specific population groups such as females and disabled groups is more recent (Williams & Basford, 1992 in Coughlan & Wells, 1999a). Further empirical research has focused on more conceptual approaches, highlighting common dimensions, such as time commitments, costs, facilities and opportunities, skills and abilities and transportation and access, and various models describing the interaction of individuals and groups in order to explain constraints (Jackson & Scott, 1999; Hinch et al., 1998).

The role of the marketer in converting the aforementioned latent demand is to overcome those barriers which market research will uncover. In this situation, both economic and leisure constraint theory can be useful in grouping variables which are, broadly, economic (costs), spatial (time commitments), personal/psychological (lack of motivation/interest, attitude), institutional in the generating region (timetable, curriculum) and institutional in the destination region (appropriate accommodation, the variety of attractions, access to medical facilities).

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