Yuki Misui

Why do they choose a spa destination? The case of Japanese tourists

The purpose of this study is to segment Japanese spa tourists according to push motivation using a factor-cluster market segmentation approach. The study examines why these tourists choose spa destinations from among the numerous available tourism options, and what kind of attractiveness they seek. The authors derive 7 factors from 44 motivation items by factor analysis and the tourists are segmented into five clusters. Their analysis reveals that these tourists chose spa destinations when they were in search of a ‘soothing’ experience, one of the seven factors considered specific to spas. The answer to the question on the kind of attractiveness sought varied by segment.

How to attract more tourists

Purpose – The objectives of this paper are twofold. First, to develop a framework for estimating the attractiveness of spas in Japan. Second, based on the results of the estimation, to consider how to attract more tourists.Design/methodology/approach – Attractiveness is defined by the results of questionnaires, composed of a spas characteristics, cost and accessibility. Using these aspects of the destination as measures of its attractiveness, the paper estimates attractiveness conducted with a destination choice model.Findings – The results of the estimation provide some findings. First, consumers may value the quality of hot springs, with atmosphere as one of the most important elements. Second, the attractiveness varies because of accessibility or cost depending on the origin of each consumer. The management of each spa should consider where their customers are from; they also need to recognize which spas are their competitors.Originality/value – There are many previous studies dealing with the estimat...