Motive Based Segmentation of the Cultural Tourism Market: A Study of Turkish Domestic Tourists

Abstract

This article examines cultural tourists' motivations for travel and provided support for the idea that cultural tourists are not solely motivated by the potential for deep cultural experiences. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 270 domestic tourists in 52 provinces in Turkey whose primary travel purpose was cultural. Factor analysis indicated eight motivation factors, which were termed: "Adventure, Creativeness and Challenge," "Knowledge and Experience," "Achievement and Autonomy," "Rest and Relaxation," "Sports and Socialization," "Escape," "Family Togetherness," and "Fun and Travel Bragging." Cluster analysis of factor scores indicated that cultural tourists could be classified into five distinct groups, each with different travel motivations. The accuracy of the cluster classification was tested using discriminant analysis. Delineated clusters were labelled: "Relaxation Seekers," "Sports Seekers," "Family Oriented," "Escapists," and "Achievement and Autonomy Seekers." Each tourist type possessed different demographic and trip behavior characteristics. Interestingly, none of the groups was primarily motivated by the factors that are most closely linked to ideas of culture. Although the results cannot be generalized beyond the study population, this study confirmed the applicability of the methodology for segmenting the Turkish domestic cultural tourism market in terms of travel motivations. The implications of marketing to various tourist types are discussed