소비자의 여행구매특성이 여행정서에 미치는 동태적 효과에 관한 연구

Abstract

How much do consumers gain feelings of happiness through travel experience? Since travel is more than a notion of holidays and it is connected with moving. So, feelings perceived by consumers may be expressed differently. Particularly, according to the desires for travel expenses and experiences which have been diversified, the importance of diversified management is stressed. In this regard, the study aimed to propose management direction by understanding and systematically analyzing consumers' emotional reactions to travel expenses. To attain this aim, the study explored consumers' thoughts and reactions to the overall travel process by comprehending the characteristics of consumption patterns and consumers' desires at each stage of a travel. Generally, consumers pass through a procedure of experiencing expectations through a preparation process before a travel in order for a happy travel, having various experiences through a regular travel, and returning to the daily life after wrapping up a travel. The study proposed a direction of happy travels during a travel period by exploring how feelings changed and what they felt and reviewing the levels of travelers' wellbeing during a travel period based on a conceptual study proposed by Xin et al.(2013). Particularly, five stages of the procedure which are pre, during and post-travel were adopted to research the characteristics of travelers (consumer value and travel motivation), the characteristics of a travel destination (psychological distance and destination attributes) and consumer emotional welling of travelers. Research was implemented to investigate the processes of pre, during and post-travel, targeting consumers who were planning to travel three nations: China, Turkey and Canada. Repeated Measure ANOVA was adopted so as to verity the repeated effects of emotional wellbeing.

Below is the summary of analysis results.

First, it was confirmed that the emotions which travelers felt during a travel were different at each stage. Particularly, emotional welling was hugely enhanced during a travel period compared to the before and after a travel, which confirmed the importance of the experience factor for a travel. When emotions by type were reviewed, it was found that positive emotions were enhanced during a travel and spread to the post-travel while negative emotions were remarkably expressed during a travel. Second, emotional wellbeing in accordance with consumer values illustrated significant differences at each stage of a travel period. Those who had performance-oriented values experienced high emotions during a travel and post-travel while those who had strong pleasure-oriented values showed strong emotional effects during the process of a travel. When emotions by type were reviewed, those who had strong performance-oriented values experienced in the later part of a travel while those who had strong pleasure-oriented values felt uncomfortable in the initial stage of a travel but their positive emotions were built in the process of a travel. Third, emotional wellbeing during a travel period in accordance with travel motivations illustrated significant differences at each stage. It was found that travelers with strong motivations for destinations had high sensitivity towards environmental factors which they experienced during a travel. When emotions by type were reviewed, travelers with strong motivations related to the destination experienced both positive and negative emotions during a travel while travelers with strong motivations with sociality experienced positive emotions during and after a travel. Meanwhile, travelers with strong motivations related to service experienced negative emotions at the last moment of a travel and after a travel. Fourth, emotional wellbeing in accordance with psychological distances illustrated significant differences at each stage. Travelers who felt close psychologically showed high emotional responses from the middle stage of a travel till its last stage. Particularly, they experienced positive emotions. On the other hand, travelers who felt distance psychologically experienced emotional responses (positive responses) only at a travel destination. Fifth, emotional wellbeing according to the evaluation factors of travel attributes illustrated significant differences at each stage. Only travelers who considered artifacts importantly experienced enhanced emotional responses during a travel process. It was found that travelers who thought artifacts as importantly experienced positive emotions from the middle of a travel to its last phase while travelers who considered cultural factors importantly built positive reminiscences over the destination after returning to the reality after a travel. It is necessary to consider which factors affect travelers' happiness and continuous traveling experiences, instead of uniform product management provided at a travel market.

Following are implications induced from suggested research results.

First, it is important for travel product managers to design appealing travels by comprehending attributes of travel destinations and finding factors helpful to the emotional aspect of consumers. Second, the results implies that planning and managing the schedule must be diversified to fit to each traveler as travelers showed different emotions according to their dispositions or values. Third, consumers think that the travel process and moving have separate meanings; the results imply that connective management pre and post-travel is necessary for travelers. Fourth, although attributes may be different according to the characteristics of travel destinations, the results imply that management on travel products satisfying consumers' expectations is required by figuring out the attributes which can be experienced at a travel destination.

Keywords: Travel Stages, Emotional Wellbeing, Consumer Value, Travel Motivation, Psychological Distance, Travel Attributes