The Trendscope Traveller Types are based on a basic research conducted by Trendscope, which analyses and systematises the entire travel process – from preparation to the journey itself and follow-up.
Result is a comprehensive target group concept, which enables tourism service providers to focus their marketing activities on the motives, desires and values of their target groups.
The elaboration of the Trendscope Traveller Types was conducted with the help of two methodological approaches:
1. Qualitative pre-study:
In summer 2010 the first step was made in the form of more than 40 in-depth interviews, which were led by psychologically trained interviewers, to find out about traveling interests and preferences, their motives for travelling and their behavior during particular travel phases in a detailed way. On average the interviews took around two hours.
Based on this pre-study, the statements for the classification of the different Traveller Types were designed.
2. Quantitative main study
Subsequently, in autumn 2010 a comprehensive quantitative study was carried out in six European countries (Germany, France, Sweden, the Netherlands, Poland and Russia). In this way, we were able to generate representative statements of the target groups in important European source markets and quantified the results of the pre-study on a European level.
To define the Trendscope Traveller Types an approved multivariate statistical analysis method was applied. To get a better understanding of the process the analytical steps will be drafted in the following. A core element to establish the typology was a mathematical-statistical method for data reduction by groupings – the so-called cluster analysis.
On the basis of the pre-study a substantial statement battery was composed demonstrating all the relevant needs and motives linked with informational-, booking-, travel- and after-travel- behavior. The statement battery was applied in the above-described quantitative study in six countries. By means of a factor analysis the single motives were classified into motive dimensions and the statement battery was reduced on a straightforward, valid and selective set of items.
By means of the cluster analysis the participants were grouped into the Trendscope Traveller Types based on their similarities or dissimilarities. Those being part of one group are therefore as homogeneous as possible, whereas the different groups are as heterogeneous as possible.
