The endearment behaviour of tourists through their interaction with the host community

Abstract

Contemporary research attention in tourism is increasingly focusing on the experiences and benefits tourists gain from being tourists. These experiences and benefits often derive from the activities pursued and may endear the tourist to a destination area. The latter idea is explored using survey data relating to South Wales. For the majority of leisure tourists endearment is effected through generalist activities and generalist interaction with local people. However, segmentation on the bases of whether or not tourists have local contacts in the destination area and whether or not they are repeat visitors is sufficiently important to call into question the validity of generalizing across all leisure tourists. For the segment with local contacts, endearment may be to friends and relatives rather than to the destination area itself. Fundamental issues of marketing in terms of endearment are, in consequence, raised.