Plog and Psychographics

• This is a look at a more specific sub-field of recreation

• Tourism and motivation

– Though this can be applied to other recreational facilities

• Tremendous amount of recreational research revolves around demographics

PsychographicsPlog initially developed his scale while studying the

behaviors and motivations of international airline travelers. • Attempt to slice up the psyches of the

population into various categories - outside the straightjacket of demographics

• Most of the research in this area has concentrated on travel research

– Which type of person likes to go where

– Extension to recreational personalities and the images of places

• Individuals who belong to the same demographic groups and cohorts may have different motivations and behaviours

• The activity may have something to do with grouping ‘like’ personalities

• If true - this type of analysis can help determine market segments, marketing strategies, and potential conflicts between various user groups

• Customer Analysis•    

Geographics – where clients live or work

• Demographics – age, income, gender, education, race, marital status, family size, occupation, culture, religion, job requirements, socioeconomic status and leisure activities

• Psychographics – lifestyles, attitudes, values and beliefs

Elan Boatsformerly American Skier

• “To be able to grow Elan Boats beyond what American Skier established it is essential that we build boats for the competition market as well as the wakeboard and family recreation markets..”

They now have three brands, American Skier, Volante, and Eagle Air for the three market psychographics profiles.

• PSYCHOGRAPHIC/LIFESTYLE CHOICES • Make way for the "cultural creatives," an

emerging lifestyle group that consists of nearly one-fourth or 44 million Americans.

• This group believes in environmentalism, feminism, global issues, and spiritual searching.

• They represent the leading edge of behavior change and are of particular interest to parks and recreation because they seek community involvement, authentic "experiences," and adventuresome, genuine, altruistic, and spiritual vacation travel. (American Demographics)

• Other lifestyle groups identified in the study include "heartlanders," the 29% of Americans who maintain the traditional beliefs of small towns and strong churches, and "modernists,“

• Within the 47% of the population who place a high value on success and consumerism. (American Demographics)

• A recent study conducted by Roper Starch Worldwide for Hyatt Hotels revealed four behavioral categories of business travelers: globetrotter, smooth sailor, world weary, or torn traveler. The greatest determinant of a person's profile as a business traveler was family status. Younger travelers with children at home felt the most pressure on the road while older travelers without the home responsibilities experienced a pleasant change of pace.

• Viewing, photographing, learning about nature and history attract more than 150 million people per year (tourists world wide)

• Land-based participation trends include winners and losers when examining changes from 1982 to 1995. The big winners in percentage change are: bird watching (+155.2%), hiking (+93.5%), backpacking (+72.7%), primitive camping (+58.2%), and attending an outdoor concert or play (+54.7%). Activities experiencing decline include: tennis (-29.3%), hunting (-12.3%), horseback riding (-10.1%).

Golf and Tennis Resort

• For example the Planters in South Carolina

• Goal would be to build as much as possible integrated facilities - facilities that would house tennis players and golfers

• On the surface, the demographics of these two groups that visit resorts are roughly similar ( income, education, family size, etc)

• A single clubhouse should be acceptable but

Plog and the Recreation System

• The best known of Plog’s work relates tourist’s (traveler's) motivations to their destination points

• The emphasis is on personality - not demographically related variables

• travellers are distributed along a continuum

Psychocentrics

• Tendency to be anxious, self-inhibited, non-adventurous

• Concern for small details

High end

• Soft adventure group travel is characterized by travel to novel or exotic locations, low risk activities (perceived and true), low intensity activities, high quality food, quality lodging, and transportation. One example of a soft adventure tour is a luxury tented safari camp in Kenya that provides gourmet food, showers, and Land Rovers for a safari tour

Allocentrics

• Individuals who are self-confident, curious, adventurous and outgoing

• Preference for non-touristy areas. A delight in new experiences

• Preference for novel destinations and high level of activities

• Grand Canyon

Tibet

High End• Hard adventure travel is characterized by travel to novel or

exotic destinations, a higher risk factor of activities that may require greater skill(s), and a higher intensity level of activities.

• Accommodations are typically more rustic, including tents, rustic lodges, and basic hotels.

• Food is generally the traditional food of the region. One example of hard adventure travel is traveling by foot on a walking safari through Kenya, carrying all supplies and food in a backpack that weighs approximately 70 pounds. Accommodations are tents and food consists of the traditional fare of goat, cabbage, and chipotes (flour pancake).

• The risk factor is considered high due to potential wild animal encounters, poor water quality, and countless other risks including but not limited to injury, inclement weather, and sickness.

Linkages

• A destination will do ‘best’ when ?

• Consequence ?

• There is a sense and suggestion that because of the different motivations that destinations will evolve over time

• Allocentrics will discover a place

• word-of-mouth and other information is spread

• Mid-centrics arrive, the allocentrics leave but in the long run, psychocentrics arrive