Investigating resort attributes and personal values: A study of China's post-80s consumers and their predecessors

Xin Wen, Purdue University

Abstract

With the rapid and sustained economic growth since the Reform and Opening of 1978, Chinese travelers have become a substantial market segment of the resort industry. As the first generation born after the Reform and Opening and the One Child policy, China's Generation Y, or the Post-80s generational cohort has entered into young adulthood and begun to play major roles on the social stage as employees, future leaders and for sure, consumers. However, few empirical resort studies have targeted this generation. This research investigates China's Post-80s consumers and their attribute preferences in resort selection. In addition, the study also compares the Post-80s with previous generations in resort consumption, attribute preferences and personal values and explores an explanation of the Post-80s resort attribute preferences and possible generational differences through an investigation of the relationship with personal values. Quantitative data were collected through a web-based survey with Chinese resort consumes. The results suggest that not many significant differences were found between the Post-80s and their predecessors in resort consumption and attribute preferences and the Chinese resort market is relatively homogeneous. Unlike traditional western resort vacationers, Chinese resort consumers stay at resort for a short period and engage in tourism activities such as sightseeing more than resort activities. When selecting resort, both the Post-80s and previous generations attach most importance to resort quality and basic hotel attributes and least importance to resort-featured entertainment and recreational facilities and programs. This can be linked to the confounding influence of the shared traditional Chinese values among the Post-80s and their predecessors, such as pursuing a sense of security, self-esteem, social status, group orientation, and conservatism. Despite, the study also found that compared with previous generations, the Post-80s are more influenced by western values and are more self-oriented. They place higher importance on resort ambience, room features, and efficiency and are willing to pursue their self-identity, personal pleasure and enjoyment, and interaction with others through those attributes. Theoretical contributions, pragmatic implications, and limitations and recommendations for future studies are discussed at last.

Degree

M.S.

Advisors

Lehto, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Marketing

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