This paper examines cultural tourism as a component of the cultural industry, focusing on how marketing strategies can be tailored to different types of cultural tourists. Drawing on consumer behavior theory, destination image research, and advertising models, the paper explores how tourists form perceptions of cultural attractions and how marketers can respond to these differences. Key frameworks discussed include McKercher's five-category tourist typology, Vaughn's FCB Grid, and conversion versus advertising tracking models. The paper argues that effective cultural tourism marketing must account for varying levels of tourist motivation, cultural involvement, and cognitive or affective processing styles.
The paper demonstrates framework synthesis — the ability to draw on multiple theoretical models from marketing, consumer psychology, and tourism studies and apply them coherently to a single research problem. Rather than merely summarizing each framework, the author connects them to show how a marketer would deploy different strategies depending on tourist typology and degree of cultural involvement.
The paper opens with a definition of cultural tourism and its commercial context, then examines marketing models used to evaluate advertising effectiveness. It proceeds to discuss destination image formation and the role of perception, before introducing McKercher's five-category tourist typology. The final analytical sections map Vaughn's cognitive/affective marketing strategies onto each tourist type. A brief conclusion synthesizes the key takeaways for practitioners designing culturally targeted campaigns.
Cultural tourism is a part of the cultural industry that promotes cultural products to travelers as a form of cultural practice (Craik, 1995: 87; Prentice, 2001). This tourism format is considered an umbrella organization covering a wide range of diverging activities.
Traditional buildings and sites serve as attractions for tourists, and the cultural tourism industry uses these as incentives to draw visitors. Although these buildings have their own distinct histories, they are today presented in ways designed to attract tourists, functioning as entertainment destinations for those on vacation and thereby giving a boost to cultural tourism (Herbert, 1995: 1). However, these traditional sites are perceived differently by every cultural tourist. For instance, a historic monument might be fascinating for some tourists while others may regard it as boring or unappealing (Herbert, 1995: 1–2).
Cultural tourism is in demand for many reasons. Many tourists wish to learn about the cultures of other nations, while others are keen to see monuments found in different locations (Prentice, 2001). Cultural tourism extends beyond mere sightseeing to promote cultural appreciation, either through direct experiences or through the acquisition of schematic knowledge (Prentice, 2001). Experiential tourism in this context is pursued for authentic purposes. Authenticity is offered in a number of ways — through famous people or special events, through direct experience, location, reality, national origin, place branding, and celebrations. Schematic knowledge encompasses a logical interest in developing an individual's familiarity with cultural objects.
A key question arises when individuals seek schematic knowledge: what is the best marketing strategy for delivering that knowledge to cultural tourists? When marketers plan advertising campaigns, the psychological differences among individuals must be treated as essential criteria (Ruiz and Sicilia, 2004).
The evaluation of advertising schemes is conducted using the conversion studies model or the advertising tracking approach. The conversion study approach follows a sequential flow, beginning with advertising aimed at raising tourist awareness, followed by tactics that build a positive image in the minds of tourists, and then progressing through inquiry, motivation, and conversion (Siegel and Ziff-Levine, 1990; McWilliams and Crompton, 1997: 127). The advertising tracking model, on the other hand, measures fluctuations in tourist awareness levels and gathers information about the target market both before and after an advertising campaign has taken place (McWilliams and Crompton, 1997: 129). The tracking model assumes that a tourist will only be inclined to use tourism services once made aware of them, whereas the conversion model requires identifying the information-seeking behavior that precedes conversion (McWilliams and Crompton, 1997: 129). Both models point to various types of message processing that occur when a visitor becomes interested in a particular attraction. However, a significant drawback of these models is that they fail to recognize the influence of advertising on low-interest decisions, such as repeated visits or visits of lesser importance (McWilliams and Crompton, 1997: 127). To address this limitation, a more detailed analysis of message processing is advisable.
A number of studies have identified three major ways of processing a marketing message. The first involves the elaboration of cultural features — that is, each place or monument has its own distinct characteristics, and these should be used effectively to persuade visitors to come and experience the cultural attraction. The second element concerns the findings of consumer communication and behavior researchers, who argue that message recipients hold different mindsets, leading to different responses to advertising appeals (Moore et al., 1995; Ruiz and Sicilia, 2004). It follows that individual customers have a tendency toward information processing that is distinctive to them. The third element involves the individual appeal produced by the marketer, which converges in the message processing system, at which point the message is executed.
The components of a tourism destination introduced by Witt and Moutinho (1994) include facilities, attractions, accessibility, prices, and destination images. Primary motivating attractions include seascapes, climate, beaches, landscapes, and cultural, social, and purpose-built attractions. Facilities encompass accommodation, cafés, bars, and restaurants, along with transportation such as taxis and car rentals. Accessibility refers to the ease with which a tourist can reach a destination. Price includes the total of all expenses involved, such as accommodation, travel, and participation in selected activities.
Beerli and Martin (2003) identified nine dimensions with attributes that determine the perceived destination image of tourists. These dimensions are: tourist and general infrastructure, natural resources, culture, art, history, the natural and social environment, economic and political factors, and the atmosphere of a particular place — all of which are relevant to cultural attraction. The organic image of an attraction is based on non-commercial information sources, such as the opinions of friends and family members or media reports, while the induced image is shaped by commercial sources such as advertising and information from tour operators and travel agents (Kantanen et al., 2006).
The image a person forms of a destination is not entirely determined by the available information that shapes an imaginary projection; personal perception of that information also plays a significant role in constructing an image of the environment. This interrelationship between information and individual perception gives rise to a compound image (Stern and Krakover, 1993; Beerli and Martin, 2003).
Since it is the mindset of the individual — in the process of collecting information about a destination — that shapes perception, advertising campaigns must critically recognize this and design strategies that prioritize the integrity of their messaging. According to Martin and Beerli (2003), when a customer's expectations align with the compound image formed beforehand, positive feedback results. Moreover, this feedback will not only stimulate personal satisfaction but will also be communicated verbally by tourists to others.
The way tourists perceive an image determines their expectations of a destination. However, different mindsets differ in the degree of those expectations — for example, in their qualitative expectations of a trip or destination. Perception of information is inherently tied to a person's mindset (McKercher, 2002). Recent research confirms two dimensions of cultural tourism identified by McKercher: the level of motivation behind the tour and the intensity of experience. Consumer behavior theorists argue that motivation for a product or service depends on personal benefit and level of involvement with that product. Involvement is characterized by personal expectations or the perceived appropriateness of a product or service, and it is heightened by events that align with a customer's values, wishes, or expectations (Peter and Olson, 1987). In short, involvement with a product or service will be high when personal relevance is recognized. Conversely, intensity of experience is characterized by cultural interaction within a given environment (McKercher, 2002).
McKercher divides tourists into five categories with reference to culture. A purposeful cultural tourist has clearly defined goals — such as understanding a non-native culture or familiarizing themselves with a tradition — and will be highly involved, expecting detailed and intense cultural experiences. A sightseeing cultural tourist has high expectations and motivation to visit cultural attractions, but does not seek in-depth experiences. The casual cultural tourist has moderate interest in culture and expects only a mild experience; cultural interaction is not a primary reason for travel. Incidental cultural tourists are neither particularly interested in a culture nor highly involved with the destination. Finally, serendipitous cultural tourists do not plan to seek cultural involvement or engagement, but when they happen to encounter a new culture, they may become emotionally attached and experience a deep sense of recognition. Tourists in the incidental, casual, and serendipitous categories may have interest in certain aspects or practices of a culture without being drawn to it as a whole. Advertising and information can, however, influence the way these tourists respond (McKercher, 2002).
The effectiveness of an advertising strategy is measured by the degree of involvement it arouses in a tourist. The message processing model developed by Richard Vaughn (1986) helps explain how a message can align with a tourist's state of mind through cultural orientation and expectation (Kantanen et al., 2006).
Vaughn's framework for commercial communication draws a distinction and establishes a correlation between the affective and cognitive dimensions of communication. He identifies four main marketing strategies: habitual, satisfaction, affective, and informative. The theory proposes that marketing strategies must be designed differently for high-involvement products versus low-involvement products, and that there should be a corresponding difference in design when emotional involvement is required as compared to logical engagement. Vaughn also confirms the relationship between two key marketing dimensions: involvement and the affective versus cognitive spectrum (Vaughn, 1986).
Where decision making is entirely dependent on gathered information, an informative strategy is vital. In this case, cognitive information is processed first, stimulating a decision of attraction or distraction depending on its concurrence with the tourist's expectations (Hughes, 2002).
When the customer already holds sufficient information about a category of products or services, decision making is shaped by the effectiveness of the advertising itself: this is the affective strategy. A similar cognitive process takes place, resulting in a final decision. The affective strategy allows the use of environmental variables to plant an idea in the customer's mind, enabling the marketer to control different stimuli in order to provoke purchasing decisions. Focusing on cultural orientation through the prediction of customer preferences can also help a marketer design a strategy that not only creates an affective image but also cultivates a sense of emotional connection (Hughes, 2002).
The marketer's real task begins with triggering people and generating sufficient motivation to elicit a high degree of engagement — achieved through either a satisfaction or habitual approach. This is particularly relevant in situations of general apathy toward certain aspects of culture, in which affective or informative approaches appear ineffective and the individual cannot establish any personal connection to the cultural attraction (LaBarbera et al., 1998).
The satisfaction approach is similar to the habitual approach, but focuses on affective rather than cognitive experiences. Favorable affective reactions lead to favorable judgments and vice versa. The underlying model of this approach is do–feel–learn. The habitual approach addresses the practical dimension of personal engagement. The task itself, along with all supporting activities, produces a judgment regarding involvement. Once attention has been captured, the task itself sustains the person's interest through motivation. Favorable judgment results in satisfied visitors who may return for repeat visits. The underlying model here is do–learn–feel (Kiasma, 2002; 2005).
Each cultural tourist differs from others in terms of motivation and degree of engagement with cultural attractions, as McKercher (2002: 29) argues. As a result, their responses to marketing communications cannot be generalized. The Foote, Cone and Belding (FCB) Grid is a useful tool for tracing these differences in response.
Each cultural tourist has individual tastes requiring different approaches; each may have unusual degrees of concern and motivation. It follows that their reactions to marketing communications may be entirely different from one another (McKercher, 2002).
Suomenlinna (2002) Brochure on Suomenlinna Sea Fortress. Helsinki City Tourist & Conservation Bureau, Helsinki, Finland.
Vaughn, R. (1986) 'How advertising works: A planning model revisited'. Journal of Advertising Research, February–March, 57–66.
Witt, S.F. and Moutinho, L. (eds) (1994) Tourism Marketing and Management Handbook, 2nd edn. Prentice Hall, London.
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