Tourism Studies, Advances in tourism consumer behaviour, 7,5 credits

Aim

This course aims to offer students an in-depth understanding of key concepts in tourism consumer behaviour and discuss perspectives that address the fragmentation of tourism consumer behaviour as well as proposed future research agendas. Understanding key concepts of tourism consumer behaviour is important, especially since shifts in society continues to rapidly change and thereby influence these very concepts. Therefore, another purpose of this course is to identify and discuss contemporary tourist behaviour and related knowledge gaps.

Course objectives

After completing this course the student is expected to:

- Understand key consumer behaviour theories and be able to apply them to the study of tourism.
- Be in a position to critically analyze the concepts, influences and contexts of consumer behaviour in tourism
- Be in a position to anticipate the effects of changes in influences and contexts of consumer behaviour in tourism
- Critically assess, evaluate and propose research ideas and disciplinary traditions within consumer behaviour in tourism
- Have knowledge on and critically discuss methodologies applied in consumer behaviour in tourism
- Appropriately synthesise and integrate their ongoing PhD thesis into the broader literature on consumber behaviour in tourism.
- Be able to present their research in oral and written forms as well as review and comment other peroples contributions in the course

Content

Consumer behaviour has a long tradition in tourism research with the terms travel behavoiur or tourist behaviour typically used to describe this area of inquiry. Research in tourism consumer behaviour involves studying concepts (such as value, motivation, attitudes, perception, decision making and loyalty), influences (societal influences such as technology and generation changes as well as ethical consumption) and contexts (such as specific segments as well as group versus individual aspects) that link to the pre-visit, on-site and post-visit stages of a consumption process. However, research on consumer behaviour in tourism has been criticized in terms of limitations to advancing knowledge based on the pure application of standard concepts and measures from mainstrream consumer behaviour literature (often from the marketing field). It has been suggested that research on consumer behaviour in tourism is fragmented due to 1) the replication of studies using main stream concepts not adapted to tourism, 2) although many studies have examined the same effect, due to their different contexts there is a lack of comparability and generalisation, 3) the dominance of quantitative approaches and few studies using longitudinal and/or holistic approaches. Also, it has been proposed that studies with hedonic and affective aspects are lacking in consumer behaviour in tourism research.

Entry requirements

To be admitted to the course the candidate should be enrolled in a postgraduate program. A candidate permanently employed at Mid Sweden University can be offered a place on postgraduate courses with vacancies, provided that requirements for eligibility and other conditions have been fulfilled and that the person participates in the courses within the terms of his/her employment.
(Äldre gymnasiebetyg)

Selection rules and procedures

The selection process is in accordance with the Higher Education Ordinance and the local order of admission.

Teaching form

The course consists of lectures and seminars. Lectures are used to introduce topics followed by seminars related to literature in tourist consumer behaviour. Students are expected to prepare and actively participate in all lectures and seminars. The concluding seminar is a presentation and discussion of the main individual written course assignment.

Examination form

Students will be examined in two ways:

1. Each student has to give a short presentation on a topic to be determined in agreement with the main course instructor.
2. The main examination vehicle will be a research paper relating to each student's research and the manner in which it ties to the consumer behaviour in tourism discourse.

The research paper is the main examination and will be worth 80% of the grade. 20% are for the presentation and for active class discussion.
Course grades are prodived as Pass or Fail.

Grading system

Fail (U) or Pass (G)