Revisiting the heavy-user segment for vacation travel marketing

Abstract

Usage segmentation is a tool utilised by many travel marketers, and many place great emphasis upon the heavy-user segment. This paper looks at heavy vacation travellers’ demographics, psycho-graphics and their adoption of new Internet technologies, and finds, as a delineated segment, that these travellers share many characteristics and differ markedly from the light user. The key finding of the paper, however, is that the long-held axiom that marketers should focus the majority of their efforts on the heavy-user segment may no longer be sound advice, as vacation travel eÂgalite has given greater importance to the balance of the population.