Segmenting Leisure Travelers by Risk Reduction Strategies

ABSTRACT

This study is an initial attempt in using risk reduction strategies as the basis for segmenting leisure travelers. Results of the study generated insights into the nature of consumer markets and created three segments of travelers who adopted risk reduction strategies in different ways. The three leisure travelers' segments include: socially reliant risk reducers, self-initiated risk reducers, and unconcerned about risk reduction. Travel behaviors and sociodemographics of the three segments were also compared.

Keywords:

• Risk reduction strategies
• segmentation
• leisure travel
• Hong Kong

Acknowledgments

This study, as part of the annual Hong Kong residents' outbound travel survey conducted in 2009, was supported by an internal grant funded by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. The authors would like to thank Miss Mina Li, Research Assistant, for her assistance in this project. Lastly, the constructive comments offered by the three anonymous reviewers are greatly acknowledged.