Shopping Tourism

Denisa Peloiu

Certificate in International Hotel and Tourism Operation

HTMI Switzerland
Introduction

Shopping is an important activity for tourists and helps the industry to develop new

holdings (Paige and Littrell, 2003).

“Enjoyment, novelty, and social interaction are heightened when shopping as a

tourist because the stress of daily living is removed from the paradigm of product

acquisition” (Christiansen and Snepenger, 2002). In addition, tourists when they are

wandering through shopping centres have the indication to buy products for which

maybe they don’t have time to go shopping at home.

The economic development it grow up because the shopping tourism. “Australian

Department of Tourism” studies demonstrated that the capitals are definitely bigger

from year to year and the percentages still growing up. It is found that that a huge

quantity of money and a lot of time when you are going in holiday it is estimate for

shopping. The people consider that shopping when in holiday it brings a lot of

benefits. For example it can make an attractive leisure time, the environment can be

familiar and can be consider like a good motivator for travel. This aspect it’s

important to be considered because for shopping sector it’s necessary to be always

developed (Jensen-Verbeke, 1998).

Leisure shopping

Jensen-Verbeke in 1990 talked about leisure shopping. She considered

that for analyse shopping it is necessary the motivation, the period

of the year, the weather etc. The attitude at shopping it’s an important

aspect and can be generate such as economic position, age, sex.

Jensen-Verbeke discovered that for women shopping it is an important motivation.

The women has patience and it is a pleasure for women to choose the decorations or

to buy gifts for example, and for this reasons is very critical related the missing of

different kind of shops or the location.

Concerning to the “US Office and Travel”, Shopping can be an important part for

choosing the holiday and also a major motivation for a leisure trip. It is found that

for many tourists, in their holiday shopping is the important aspect.

It is considerate that the Asian people are on the top for shopping tourism (90%)

and after the west European people (86%). The percentages demonstrate that the

number of European and Asian people is really high for shopping.

Wilson Tom discovered that shopping tourism is a different tourism activity. You

can learn about local culture and you can see the special country

specialties/products and also you can be in contact with different local people.

Motivation

Concluding to John Swarbrooke and Susan Horner, the motivation factors are very

important for buying tourism products. The tourists are encourage by this factors in

choose their destinations. The motivators can vary between the different kind of

people and what kind of tourism did they prefer. The motivation factors are

delimited into two groups: internal factors and external factors. Internal factors

means the person it is motivate to go for a simple holiday and external factors

means that this person it is motivate to take a special and different holiday, which

consist in specific destination and also in a specific time.

It was found different ways to classify the motivators on tourism. For example

cultural which means exploitation of local and new culture, this can be an

experience for the tourist.

Physical like you can go for relax or you can choose a particular destination

including different treatments’ for your health, this it is called travel purpose. The

next one it is emotional, the person needs to have a romantic or nostalgic trip or

maybe he needs adventure or a spiritual fulfilment. Then fallows personal holiday

which means vising friends or family, trying to meet new people, or other persons

needs help, this it is called travel purpose. It was discovered that the people travel

for their personal development, that means going in holiday for learn new things or

for increase knowledge, been called self-perception. Status tourist it is another

motivator, in this case the tourist travel for buying different products for exclusivity

or for fashion, which means lifestyle.

It was found that the motivators can be change for a lot of circumstances, for

example meeting a new partner, the existence of a new baby, worsening health or

changing the expectation/desire/experience like a tourist.

Market segments which are different like motivators are considering also. For

example the industry of tourism considers that the segments are based on

demographic standard. They must to accept that the young generation go for

shopping in another country for fun, for fashion, for buying designer label product

etc. And also they travel for party, relax, make new friends. The elderly people

prefer go for shopping in different country for discover the products which you an

found only in this country, and also to discover the antiquity.

Global Report on Shopping Tourism

UNWTO discover that tourism shopping show a challenge and for this reason it

difficult to know if the tourists or if the non-tourists spend money in their trip. The

tourism holiday are delimited consequently to the principal intention which means

that the tourists organize holiday thinking at shopping. UNWTO demonstrate that

tourism is an economical section which the different industries provide good service

demand by the tourists.

Economic impact

For shopping tourism, the big countries are very famous for their shopping centres.

For example Italy, France, America but the most important it is Dubai. Dubai is the

top luxury shopping destinations, according to Mintel. Dubai is also the ideal place

for all the activities. In the last years, the country has developed a lot, the revenues

been in a huge number. Dubai is starting to be a break destination, in particular for

the couples, is more important than Ney York or Paris. In Dubai it’s also a

spectacular luxury hotel, with excellent facilities, the ultimate shopping centre, fine

dining and also with excellent spa treatments. This country offers also different

designer’s brand with a huge variety of choice like sport clothes, elegant or casual

cloths. Because the tourists prefer short holiday, Dubai has special offers with a

fantastic class attractions. In Dubai you can find also a huge variety of activities,

promotions, events, concerts, parties, cultural events, fashion shows, carnivals,

games etc. If in these periods the visitors decide to come they will receive special

offers like reduced prices for airlines transportation and hotels accommodation.
According to Wilson Tom studies, shopping tourism it is an important factor who

still generating a huge revenue for the economy of country. The commercial

exchanges are very clearly and the dollars are also imported, being essential for the

local business. Also the commercial exchanges generate more and more jobs for the

local people.

Conclusion and Recommendations

Being considered everything which I explained, It is obvious that tourism in an

important part of tourism. For understand the shopping tourist behaviour it is

necessary that their expectation been satisfied. The shopping tourism give a lot of

benefits for the economic situation, which still develop more and more. This

tendency of shopping as leisure time has involved a huge number of tourists and in

the future will be developing a very important travel form.

Nowadays, shopping tourism is a principal factor for the economy and it produces a

fast development. Over the years, it will be the most important reason for travelling;

this aspect will give a lot of benefits for the country. Before choosing a destination,

people will think first if there exist malls or other shops or they will decide their

destination depending on the shops centres.

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