Profile Variables as a Basis for Segmenting Markets: A Guesthouse Perspective
Keywords:
Age, Customer experience, Education, Gender, Guesthouses, Prior visits
Abstract
Marketers frequently use profile variables to differentiate between groups of customers. The question arises as to whether these variables can also be used by guesthouses in segmenting their market. Segmentation helps marketers better meet customers’ needs and leads to increased customer satisfaction. This study determines whether significant differences exist in visitors’ perceptions of experience realms, given their age, gender, education level, and prior visits to the guesthouse, and whether these variables can be used in segmenting the market. The analysis of data provided by 541 guests who stayed at 51 guesthouses in Ghana shows that visitors from different age groups differ significantly with respect to the experience realms, except for Escape. Prior visits to the guesthouse resulted in significant differences in perceptions of Entertainment, Escape, Atmospherics, Peace of mind, and Efficiency, while education resulted in different perceptions of the Entertainment realm . The results can assist guesthouse managers in Ghana in allocating resources to segments that would yield maximum returns in Ghana.
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References
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and Southern Mediterranean tourists. EuroMed Journal of Business, 10(3), 327 - 337. Seiler, V., Rudolf, M.& Krume, T. (2013). The influence of socio - demographic variables on customer satisfaction and loyalty in the private banking industry. International Journal of Bank Marketing, 31 (4), 235 - 258. Shaw, C. (2005). Revolutionize your customer experience. Palgrave MacMillan: Basingstoke. Stanford, D. J. (2014). Reducing visitor car use in a protected area: A market segmentation approach to achieving behaviour change. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 22 (4), 666 - 683. Tapar, A. V., Dhaigude, A. S.& Jawed, M. S. (2017). Customer experience- baased satisfaction and behavioural intention in adventure tourism: Exploring the mediating role of commitment. Tourism Recreation Research, 42 (3), 344- 355. Teichert, T., Shehu, E.& von Wartburg, I. (2008). Customer segmentation revisited: The case of the airline industry. Transportation Research Part A, 42 , 227 - 242. Theodoridis, P. K.& Chatzipanagiotou, K. C. (2009). Store image attributes and customer satisfaction across different customer profiles within the supermarket sector in Greece. European Journal of Marketing, 43 (5/6), 708- 734. Travel and Tourism. (2016). The hotel industry in Ghana: Challenges and concerns. Retrieved 04 25, 2017, from http://www.modernghana.com Tussyadiah, I. P. (2016). Factors of satisfaction and intention to use peer- to -peer accommodation. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 55, 70 - 80. Weaver, D. B.& Lawton, L. J. (2001). Resident perceptions in the urban- rural fringe. Annals of Tourism, 28(2), 439 - 458. Worsfold, K., Fisher, R., McPhail, R., Francis, M.& Thomas, A. (2016). Satisfaction, value and intention to return in hotels. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 28(11), 2570 - 2588. Xu, J.& Chan, A. (2010). Service experience and package tours. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 15 (2), 177 - 194. Yoon, S. J.& Lee, H. T. (2017). Does customer experience management pay off? Evidence from local versus global hotel brands in South Korea. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 26(6), 585 - 605. Zeithaml, V. A. (1985). The new demographics and market fragmentation. Journal of Marketing, 49(3), 64- 72.
Published
2018-07-19
How to Cite
Amoah, F., Radder, L., & van Eyk, M. (2018). Profile Variables as a Basis for Segmenting Markets: A Guesthouse Perspective. Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies, 10(3(J), 60-73. https://doi.org/10.22610/jebs.v10i3.2317
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Research Paper
Copyright (c) 2018 Felix Amoah, Laetitia Radder, Marlé van Eyk
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