What drives tourists to pay a premium for souvenirs?

ABSTRACT

We investigate the widespread yet under-researched social phenomenon of willingness to pay a premium (WTPP) for souvenirs. In contrast to the existing research in the field of travel overspending, which overemphasizes impulsive purchases, our research reveals that this consumer behaviour is a rational choice, not just an impulsive one. Twenty-one semi-structured in-depth interviews were used to collect data for this exploratory study adopting the open-ended method of grounded theory. Based on the framework of the tourist experience, a theoretical model of WTPP for souvenirs is presented in this research. Hedonism, autobiographical memory arousal, affective arousal, authenticity, and symbolic meaning are the primary elements. The conclusion is of crucial importance to destination management; enterprises can cater to the psychology of consumers to achieve the greatest financial benefits.

KEYWORDS:

• Souvenir
• willingness to pay a premium
• motivation
• tourist consumption behaviour
• tourist experience

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Education Department of Hainan Province: [Grant Number Qhyb2021-01]; National Natural Science Foundation of China: [Grant Number 72061010]; National Natural Science Foundation of China: [Grant Number 71761009].

Notes on contributors

Huili Yan

Huili Yan is a Professor in the School of tourism, Hainan University in China. She received her Ph.D. from Central China Normal University. Her research interest includes the tourism economy and online travel.

Luqing Wang

Luqing Wang is a Postgraduate student at Hainan University, China. She has research interests mainly in service failure and tourism souvenirs.

Hao Xiong

Hao Xiong is a Professor in the School of management, Hainan University in China. He received his Ph.D. in Transportation Planning and Management from Tongji University. His research interest includes big data operation optimization, logistics, and supply chain.

Yuzhi Wei

Yuzhi Wei is a Ph.D. student at Hainan University, China. She has interests in consumer behaviour, destination marketing, and tourist experience.