Psychology of Tourists

Tourist Market Behaviour Patterns

Aside from the historical aspect of the place or destination, a tour guide must be good in
geography, flora and fauna, music, literature, architecture, cultural diversity, famous places and
faces and current events both locally and internationally.

Note:
The general traits that will be discussed in the following slides do not necessarily
apply to all the people who belong in the respective nationalities that will be discussed. The
traits are based on trends and general observation.

A. North Asians

1. Japanese
• more than 12 million travel a year
• Less than 3% visit the Philippines
• More male than female travelers
• Travel in package tours
• More repeaters than first timers
• Speak little English
• Want Japanese food
• 4-5 days program only
• Average age of travelers: early 40’s
• Tipping is not practiced in Japan
• Consider Philippines as value for money
• Love Philippine seafood
• Very safety conscious
• Time and health-conscious
• Newest travel trend setter: office ladies
• Workaholics, bath consciousness, groupism, consensus-minded, dependency,
inner-outer world, face-consciousness, epicurean, ceremonial animal, defenseless,
modest people

2. Korean
• More are now traveling
• Multi-destination package
• More male than female travelers
• Travel in package tours
• Speak very little English
• Want Korean food
• 4-5 days program only
• Average age of travelers: 50’s
• Tipping is not practiced in Korea
• Consider Philippines as value for money
• Love Philippine seafood
• Very safety conscious
• Time and health conscious
3. Taiwanese
• More travel every year with their fast economic development
• Highest growth rate in terms of tourist arrivals in the Philippines
• More male than female travelers
• Travel on package tours
• Speak very little English
• Want Chinese food
• 4-5 days program only
• Average age of travelers: early 50’s
• Tipping is practiced and pre-oriented
• Consider Philippines as value for money
• Love Philippine seafood
• Very safety conscious
• Time and health conscious
• Love to shop for Philippine specialties and delicacies

4. Hong Kong Chinese

• Travel in cheap package tours with high hotel standard
• Counts every centavo
• Speak very little English
• Very meticulous with Chinese food without coconut oil
• Up to 6 days program
• Average age of travelers: 30’s
• Tipping is pre-oriented in HK
• Consider Philippines as value for money
• Love Philippine seafood
• Very safety conscious
• Time and health conscious
• Shopping at big department stores

5. Singaporean
• Travel in cheap package tours with high hotel standard
• Counts every centavo
• Speak English
• Love to eat hot and spicy food –check if no beef or pork
• Up to 5 days program
• Average age of travelers: 40’s
• Conscious in tipping
• Consider Philippines as value for money
• Love Philippine seafood
• Very safety conscious
• Time and health conscious
• Shopping at big department stores
• Buys a lot of Philippine specialties and delicacies
• Always compares host country with home country

6. Malaysian and Indonesian

• Travel in package tours if ethnic
• Speak English
• Love chilies and spicy food, conscious about pork
 • Up to 6 days program
• Average age of travelers: 40’s
• Know how to tip
• Consider Philippines as value for money
• Love Philippine seafood
• Very safety conscious
• Time and health conscious
• Shopping at big department stores
• Buys a lot of Philippine specialties and delicacies

7. Thais
• Travel on multi-destination package tours
• Do not speak English
• Main dish composed mainly of chilies and spicy food, conscious about beef
• Tipping is pre-oriented
• Travelers are basically ethnic than Chinese
• Average age of travelers: 50’s

B. Central Asia and China

1. Chinese from Mainland China

• Travel in package tours with regular hotel standards but expect amenities in 3-
star hotel rooms like they have in China
• Count every centavo
• Speak very little English
• Very meticulous with Chinese food
• Up to 6 days program
• Average age of travelers: 50’s
• Tipping is pre-oriented
• Consider Philippines as value for money
• Love Philippine seafood
• Very safety conscious
• Time and health conscious
• Usually have local Chinese contacts or associations for their activities

2. Indian
• Travel in cheap package tours with high hotel standards
• Count every centavo
• Speak very accented English
• Very meticulous with food – chilies and curries, no beef
• Up to 6 days program
• Average age of travelers: 40’s
• Tipping is on a case-to-case basis
• Consider Philippines as value for money
• Love Philippine seafood
• Very safety conscious
• Time and health conscious
• Shopping at cheap places
C. Europeans

1. British
• Travel in package tours with high hotel standards
• Count every centavo
• Up to 15 days program
• Average age of travelers: 50’s
• Know how to tip
• Consider Philippines as value for money
• Love Philippine seafood
• Very safety conscious
• Go for beach holidays and love the sun
• Beer drinkers
• Quite eccentric, love to play with words in speaking

2. French
• Travel in package tours with high hotel standards
• Up to 15 days program
• Nationalistic – speak French even if they know English
• Average age of travelers: 40’s
• Know how to tip
• Consider Philippines as value for money
• Love Philippine seafood
• Very safety conscious
• Time and health conscious
• Go for beach holidays and love the sun
• Gastronomes
• Wine should always be available for their meals

3. German
• Travel in package tours
• Know very little English
• Want to do what the locals do
• Up to 3 weeks program
• Average age of travelers: 50’s
• Know how to tip
• Make sure everything mentioned in the brochure is included
• Consider Philippines’ value for money
• Consider Philippine beer and more on meat than seafood
• Very time conscious
• Go for the more cultural aspect of the tour

4. Italian
• Travel in package tours
• Know very little English
• Want to do what the locals do
• Up to 3 weeks program
• Average age of travelers: 50’s
• Know how to tip
• Consider Philippines’ value for money
• Very time conscious
 • Go for the more cultural aspect of the tour
• Sun lovers
• Make sure to include every detail of a tour as per itinerary

5. Eastern Europeans (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Georgia, Russian

Federation, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia and Uzbekistan)
• Filthy rich, can afford to travel
• Very particular about their shopping
• Like most Germans – beer is their water
• Very time conscious of other people but not themselves
• Speak little English

D. Middle East (Arabs)

• Travel individually
• Speak English
• Accommodation with cooking facilities
• Very generous with tips but only while supply lasts
• Average age of travelers: 40’s
• Consider Philippines’ value for money
• Love Philippine seafood
• Very safety conscious
• Time and health conscious
• Time is relative, they are on vacation

E. Central Americans
• More couple travels
• Travel in package tours
• More first timers
• Speak Spanish or Portuguese
• Want meat as the main course
• 4-5 days program
• Average age of travelers: 50’s
• Generous in tipping
• Consider Philippines’ value for money
• Very safety conscious
• Not time conscious

F. Oceania
1. Australians and New Zealanders
• Travel individually
• Like to do what the locals do
• Tips are given based on service rendered
• Beer drinkers
• Consider Philippines value for money
• Shoppers of essential goods and very few handicrafts
• Good, clean beds in Spartan room is expected
 2. Pacific Islanders
• look very much like the Filipinos
• Go for cosmopolitan lifestyle
• Island type cuisine will do (fish and coconut)
• Shopping for essential goods – go for big department stores
• Look for value room accommodation

Filipino
• Big tippers
• Easy to relate with
• Happy-go-lucky
• Fun lovers
• Go for good accommodations, budget, low end
• Love for food
• Music lover
• afraid of getting a tan
• Love to be pampered
• Love to buy bargains
• Speak English