A critical investigation into the decision making factors of tourists staying in all-inclusive resorts, surrounding sustainability.

Abstract

Sustainability is a growing interest among tourist's and the general public, in addition to this going on holiday abroad and staying in all-inclusive resorts is very popular among people. The current literature identifies the decision making factors and motivations of tourists visiting and staying in all-inclusive resorts and further to this, current literature has highlighted the growing interest of sustainability as well as the positive and negative affect these resorts have on the surrounding destination. However there is an identifiable gap in the literature in between tourists decision making factors and their interest in sustainability, to identify whether this affects there decision to stay in a resort. In order to fulfill the gap in the literature three objectives were set. The first objective was to discover whether sustainability affects a tourist's decision when booking a holiday. Furthermore, to analyse the tourist motivations towards staying in an all-inclusive resorts and identify why they are growing in popularity. Finally, to determine the understanding tourists have on the sustainability of all-inclusive resorts on the surrounding destination. To fulfill these objectives, primary research was collected through questionnaires. These were distributed between two separate groups of participants, travel agents who sell all-inclusive holidays and tourists who have been on an all in-inclusive holiday. A large response rate was required in order to gain a generalised response which could represent to the population as a whole to understand the growing interest of sustainability among tourists. The primary research revealed key themes the key themes identifying that sustainability is of growing interest and importance however there is a 'attitude-behavior gap' between what tourists know about sustainability and their actions which lack change in order to encourage sustainability. Furthermore, the research has revealed that although sustainability is of growing interest and importance, price, safety and weather remain the key 'pull' factors for staying in an all-inclusive resort. Therefore, the research begins to fill the gap in the literature highlighting that tourist's are aware of the effects all-inclusive resorts have on the surrounding destination however it can not be identified as a main decision making factor when booking a holiday.