Description
The aim of this study is to understand how parents-to-be expect their future holidays with
their first child to change accordingly, and most important the reasoning behind this.
International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research
Parents-to-be and future holiday planning: what is it all about?
Lidija Lalicic
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Lidija Lalicic , (2014),"Parents-to-be and future holiday planning: what is it all about?", International J ournal of Culture,
Tourism and Hospitality Research, Vol. 8 Iss 1 pp. 48 - 57
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Parents-to-be and future holiday planning:
what is it all about?
Lidija Lalicic
Abstract
Purpose – The aim of this study is to understand how parents-to-be expect their future holidays with
their ?rst child to change accordingly, and most important the reasoning behind this.
Design/methodology/approach – By the use of a qualitative-explorative research approach
(Grounded Theory method), ten in-depth interviews were done with Dutch parents-to-be, expecting
their ?rst child.
Findings – The results show that emotional response ranks high in terms of the occurred changes,
which originate from a set of interrelated consequences. A strong link with a deep fundamental basis
rooted in daily life values can be made.
Research limitations/implications – To surmount the limitations of this study observational methods
would have to be employed. The collection of information relating to decision making can only evoke
faults if the research would take place after the couples transform into parents-to-be through a setting of
a longitudinal study. In addition, generalization should be carefully taken into account in terms of cultural
backgrounds, which can devise changes as well.
Practical implications – This will oblige the tourismindustry to consider product differentiation to serve
this segment better and to capture a competitive position in the dynamic tourism industry.
Originality/value – The holiday has been perceived as a part of daily life and should create a certain
degree of added value which refers to a deeper fundamental basis. Therefore, it can be argued that this
study contributed to the decision-making literature by going beyond the scope of family holidays.
Keywords Consumer behaviour, Decison making process, Life cycle stages
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction
Families are representing the predominant social group of people spending their leisure time
by going on holiday (Nichols and Snepenger, 1988; Livin et al., 2004). The fact that family
structures and societal values are changing also makes the picture of family holidays and
related decision-making process ambiguous (Carr, 2011). Therefore the challenging task of
unfolding the unobservable process of decision-making of tourists has gained attention on
the research agenda. A discussion about family cycle stages as an in?uence has been
recognised by tourismresearch (Thornton and Williams, 1997; Gitelson and Kerstetter, 1990;
Fodness, 1994; Pearce and Lee, 2005; Decrop, 2006; Voigt and Laing, 2010). According to
Decrop (2006) the holiday decision-making process of families is in?uenced by
determinants such as occupation and economic status. Key factors such as time
constraints and emotional responses are causing different meaning of attributes when
children are involved (Thornton and Williams, 1997; Nickerson and Jurowski, 2001; Kang
et al., 2003; Ricci and del Missier, 2004). In addition, it can be argued that children in?uence
their parents by their expressive role and their demands during the holiday (Ricci and del
Missier, 2004; Voigt and Laing, 2010). Different studies have proven the fact that young
children in?uence the holiday by their need to have set meal times and be kept content (Ricci
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VOL. 8 NO. 1 2014, pp. 48-57, Q Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 1750-6182 DOI 10.1108/IJCTHR-06-2013-0042
Lidija Lalicic is a
Researcher and Lecturer in
the Department of Tourism
and Service Management,
Modul University, Vienna,
Austria.
Received 28 June 2013
Revised 20 January 2014
Accepted 20 January 2014
The author is grateful to MSc
Suzan Becks, Open University
Heerlen, The Netherlands for
insightful comments on earlier
versions of this paper as well as
for her patient and valuable
editing services.
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and del Missier, 2004; Thornton and Williams, 1997). Moreover parents consider the
satisfaction of their children more than their own (Ricci and del Missier, 2004).
However, different authors claim that there is a need to focus more in-depth on the child in the
decision-making process (Cullingford, 1995; Thornton and Williams, 1997; Nickerson and
Jurowski, 2001, Kang et al., 2003, Carr, 2011). The investigation of the expected changes of
tourists going into parenthood is of great importance in order to grasp on the underlying
drivers of the expected changes in the decision-making process. Schouten et al. (2007)
postulate that social, emotional and psychic connections to holiday experiences are of great
important for tourists’ satisfaction and future loyal behaviour. Therefore the main aims of this
study are to explain how decision making process is expected to change which factors
contribute to this expected change and discover the reasoning behind the excepted changes.
For managerial implications this study can provide practical insight in understanding what
families expect from their holiday, which elements need to be included. In addition, the study
can provide insights into elements illustrating constraints and factors impacting the decisions
when a child or children are involved. Knowing which values connections couples prioritise
when their ?rst child is involved allows tourism providers to increase the quality of tourist
experiences. In addition, the tourism industry can develop more appropriate product-market
packages. As such product differentiation is needed in order to serve this segment of parents
with young children. This implies positive spill over effects such as more intense bonding with
the customer, future loyalty customers, and an increase of competitive advantages.
2. Literature review
2.1 Holiday decision-making process
The domain of holiday decision-making has been covered by a diversity of research (i.e. van
Raaij and Francken, 1984; Nichols and Snepenger, 1988; Um and Crompton, 1990; Mansfeld,
1992; Maser and Weiermair, 1998; Decrop, 1999, 2006; Decrop and Snelders, 2005; Decrop
and Kozak, 2009; Sirakaya and Woodside, 2005; Papathanassis and Knolle, 2011). It can be
agreed on that tourists’ decision-making processes involve many sub-decisions which occur
continuously from prior to deciding ‘‘where to go’’ through to ‘‘what are we going to do now we
are here’’ and beyond (Smallman and Moore, 2010). In order to understand this complex topic,
different models have been developed to illustrate this decision-making process. Decrop (2006)
made a distinction between three pillars to fragment this domain. The ?rst pillar represents the
group of the microeconomic models where the holiday decision-making process is illustrated
step by step from the need to travel up to the evaluation of the decision. Concepts like product
characteristics and destination features are discussed as important standards for making
decisions. The second pillar represents the cognitive models, which embody variables like
awareness, perceptions and motivation that drive the decision-making process. The last pillar
represents interpretative frameworks, which can be seen as a combination of the ?rst two
approaches, visualizing the decision-making process as a multistage process with notions like
consideration sets and a rational information search (Decrop, 2006). However Smallman and
Moore (2010) argue that the current decision-making models mainly focus on identifying factors
that can explain how the decision-making process is operating and not on the initial why.
Conversely, many researchers acknowledge that decision-making is a dichotomous
process (Smallman and Moore, 2010). Different authors (e.g. Decrop, 1999) argue that
decisions proceed in sequential and hierarchical steps, since tourists are motivated to make
careful decisions for their holiday (Cai et al., 2004). Other authors argue that tourists are
problem-solvers following a number of distinct cognitive information processes to come to a
decision (Decrop and Snelders, 2004). Mansfeld (1992) argues that motivation strongly
in?uences the use of information in order to make the right decision. Emotions connected to
motivation can be feeling of escape from daily life meeting and living life of the locals and
stepping out of the domestic zone (e.g. Fodness and Murray, 1999; Maser and Weiermair,
1998; Bieger and Laesser, 2004; Cai et al., 2004; Decrop, 2006; Decrop and Kozak, 2009;
Hyde, 2009). Based on the previous discussion it can be argued that the choice of the
strategy used in ?nding the right information goes along with the purpose of the trip, the
length of the trip, mode of transport, travel party composition, family life cycle and income.
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According to Decrop (2006) there are four in?uences to notice: environmental, personal,
interpersonal and situational in?uences. Also to be perceived as the antecedents of
consumers’ behaviours during the decision-making process.
2.2 Family-life-cycle
A transition in a person’s life, seen as a signi?cant personal as well as situational in?uence on
the decision-making process, derives from the concept of life-cycle stages. Watson (1993)
argues that life-cycle typologies are multivariate concepts de?ned by the age, marital status,
and employment status of the individual, and by the age of the youngest child. Pearce and Lee
(2005), referring to the concept of career development, argue that the way consumers see
themselves and the meaning of attributes changes over time. Moreover, Fodness (1992)
indicates that every phase in the family life cycle is however relatively homogenous in
purchasing behaviour and attitudes. Woodside et al. (2006) argue that a person’s path through
life such as marriage, decision related to children, and travel and leisure pursuits comes from
an individual ecological systems perspective. The ecological system perspective considers
micro- and macrosystems. The microsystem of consumers includes their past and present
roles and actions that often affect subconscious and conscious thinking. Macrosystems refer to
factors such as social class and culture in?uencing leisure activities choices. Woodside et al.
(2006) contend that the ecological system theory is relevant and useful in explaining and
describing the interactions of constraining factors affecting lifestyle, leisure, and travel
behaviour. Decrop (2006) classi?es tourist transitions of moments by four types: modi?cation of
the family structure (switching from being a single to couple), the modi?cation of occupational
status, age and health problems, and modi?cation of spatial environment.
2.3 Children in the holiday decision-making process
In tourism research, children are recognised to play an active role in the decision-making
process (Ricci and del Missier, 2004). Decrop (2006) argues that while children possess the
ability to make suggestions, the ultimate decision appears to remain with the parents. Ricci
and del Missier (2004) claim that the youngest children, in general, are unable to take part in
negotiations, but their in?uence derives from a need to have set meals times and be kept
content. Therefore it is generally assumed that children subscribe to whatever choices their
parents make, and that they have little secondary in?uence on their parents particular choice
of holiday destination (Ricci and del Missier, 2004). Decrop (2006) distinguishes between
objective and subjective constraints when children are involved. The objective constraints
refer to situations such as babies and younger children requiring more care and attention, so
parents often decide not to go on holiday. The subjective constraint refers to, for example,
parents do avoid improvisation when their travel plans involve small children (Decrop, 2006).
However, going beyond the factual changes and constraints, it remains unclear why speci?c
changes occur in the decision-making process when the ?rst child is involved.
3. Methodology
3.1 Grounded theory method
The majority of research on tourist decision-making processes adopts a quantitative
approach to analyse tourists’ decisions. The focus is mainly on identifying variables that can
predict tourist choices and planning behaviour (Sirakaya and Woodside, 2005). Different
authors (Blichfeldt and Kessler, 2009; Smallman and Moore, 2010) argue that due to
previous methodological choices, explanations about how and why factors within the
decision-making process are interrelated, are limited. Moreover, Papathanassis and Knolle
(2011) argue that building on the ?ndings of others is catalytic to the evolution of knowledge,
but it can also be limited to the theoretical scope and in?uence the interpretations of
researchers. As research is facing the challenge of unfolding the complexity of the
decision-making process, going beyond the scope of, as Smallman and Moore (2010) is
essential. Therefore this study has taken a qualitative-explorative research approach by the
use of the Grounded Theory (GT), developed by Glaser and Strauss (1967). Decrop (2006,
p. 42), using GTas well, in addition argues that through an inductive approach a closer ?t to
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reality, more room for discovery, an alternative explanation and new theoretical leads can be
accomplished. Daengbuppha et al. (2006) show that in several tourists’ and consumer
studies GT has been adopted. This illustrates that GT approach is a rather fruitful and
successful approach when identifying frequent realistic patterns in speci?c situations.
3.2 Sampling
The data collection phase of this study was carried out over a three-month period from
March 2011 to May 2011. Ten couples were initially recruited through online forums,
pregnancy gym schools and by word-of-mouth. However snowball sampling occurred to be
the most suited sampling technique. Participants knew other pregnant couples, and
supported the notion to involve the new couples as a part of the sample group. The couples
were selected based on three criteria: pregnant with their ?rst child; Dutch nationality, to
avoid cultural dissonance; and going once a year on holiday. The interviews were conducted
with both partners, as such in a couple-form. The main reason to conduct the interview in this
setting refers to aim to capture underlying ideas of the future joint decision-making process.
All interviews were audio-taped and recorded, additional information about the way and the
context in which things were said were written down during and after each interview. The
duration of the interviews was between 60 and 90 minutes and they were conducted in the
couples’ homes following Decrop’s (2006) argument that the major challenge with GT is the
naturalistic setting when conducting the interviews.
The couples of the ?rst four interviews discussed three topics: overall holiday and travel
activities general expectations and reasons, and future holiday plans and expected
in?uence due to their baby. Sub-questions referred to issues such as previous holiday
patterns and factors in?uencing their choices. Additionally questions were posed such as
‘‘where in the holiday planning do they expect the changes to occur?’’, and if they had an
idea about the future holidays with their child. Moreover, questions relating to aspects which
they would assume that their future holiday, necessarily and conditionally, needs to include.
The data derived from the interviews started to merge into a clear pattern. For example, after
three interviews, it became clear that holiday decisions were mainly focused on
accommodation, transportation and destination, and they were slightly in?uenced by
arrival of the child. The researchers interpretations (etic observation) of the data collected
from the ?rst interview could be discussed during the second interview (Woodside et al.,
2006). According to Draucker et al. (2007) a new focus on the interview structure can be
useful in order to gain speci?c information regarding an emerging concept. Due to the
constant comparison the internal validity was assured as well as the level of inter-rater
reliability since the coding was done by two coders independently.
3.3 Coding process
The data were categorised through the use of three levels coding (open, axial and selective
coding) from the most descriptive to the most interpretative level. First, the interview
transcripts and ?eld notes were split and coded, here the line-by-line analysis was done
initially following an open coding process (Schatzman, 1991; see Table I for examples).
The second part of coding entailed a comparison between categories by the use of axial
coding as suggested by Schatzman (1991). Although axial coding is still considered to be a
form of open coding, it consists of intense analysis of one category at time in order to
develop concepts (Corbin and Strauss, 1997, p. 32). See Figure 1 for developments of
concepts linked to categories.
According to Daengbuppha et al. (2006) the main aimof axial coding is to generate tentative
statements of relationships between phenomena, by relating categories with subcategories
(see Figure 2).
Through the use of conditional matrix it was possible to search for patterns and themes
across all conceptual categories, and to identify the relationships and interactions between
them (see Figure 3). The matrix enables the possibility to group the generated data into
concepts and to place them in the right position among each other, therefore this approach
made it possible to establish the themes and patterns for an interactive experience.
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4. Results
A framework illustrating the decision making process prior to parenthood is done in order to
provide a solid context. As illustrated in Figure 3, it classi?es and incorporates four sets of
processes which are presented as phases: perception; the formation of subjective beliefs
about the concept of a holiday preconditions; requirements including constraints and
Table I Open coding of interviews memo’s
Example Commentary
A holiday means a lot for them, ?rst of all they want to go every year
on holiday because they see it as an important part in their life
The couple argued here that they are going every year for at least
two weeks on holiday. They have it yearly in their planning and they
argue that it an important part in their life. A holiday can be seen as
a yearly purchase
Here the frequency is mentioned, there are going once a year with
a duration of two weeks. They mention as well the importance it
has in their daily life
Frequency, duration and importance
They prefer to book a small family B&B, which gives them the
possibility to meet locals. But one of the main reason they do not
want to stay in a hotel is the quantity of guests and non-?exible
times of meals. As well they argued that a B&B is cheaper
This shows the way they prefer an accommodation, here they
argue in terms of seize but also price
Accommodation-decision
Price, seize
They argued that before they are going to book or even consider a
holiday, they use search engine Google a lot and the inspiration
comes from random things. They argue that sometimes they get
inspired by a cookbook, to go to a destination for example. On the
other hand, they buy travel magazines to inspire themselves what
is going on in the destination. Then they argued that they decided
to go on holiday sometimes just one month before but sometimes
they can also plan it half year in advance
The couple talks in terms of orientating themselves to gather
information or get inspired. They mentioned different sources,
internet is one main source, but also travel magazines. Here they
also mention howlong time before they plan their holidays as such
the duration of when booking took place
Orientation, sources, duration
Figure 1 Illustration of the main decisions and considerations in previous holiday-decision
making process deriving from the interviews
Figure 2 Paradigm model, building categorical structure
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determinants for a holiday orientation, the way the tourists prepare themselves for a holiday
decisions to undertake (choice process); which includes considerations and constraints
?nal decision made. In order to reply to the constraints, the couples argued to undertake
different actions within the decision making process, the following actions were discussed.
At this point, a set of four actions were mentioned: review of subjective beliefs, reset of
requirements, the use of more personal information sources, and new ways to approach to
the main decisions. During the interviews two main concepts emerged representing the
drivers of the changes. The couples argued that the concept of quality represents family
time and the enjoyment of nice moments. In this study, the holiday duration is assumed to
decrease, which, as the couples argue, will lead to fewer moments of stress and
inconvenience. At this point, the couples mentioned that for the ?rst years of the child’s life,
the duration will be shortened, as one couple stated in the following quote:
We normally go ten to 14 day holidays, but we are considering that for the ?rst holiday with the
child, we will go for maximum one week. This holiday is also a way to see, experience and so on,
how the holiday will be with our child, and then we can make new plans for future holidays.
The causal conditions of parenthood are two interrelated facts determining the change in the
decision-making process. The ?rst one refers to the transition into a new life cycle stage and
secondly the fact of being pregnant with the ?rst baby. The perceived quality, as discussed
by Bansal and Eislet (2003), that a holiday should stimulate feelings or emotional states in a
tourist is con?rmed. In this study, a direct link to the concept of happiness is given by the
couples. Um and Crompton (1990) at this point claim that attitudes have been shown to be a
useful predictor of overall preferences. The actions undertaken response to handle the
conditions (transition into parenthood), are derived from a set of consequences. These
consequences can be seen as interrelated values and thus the underlying ‘‘why’s’’ of the
changes within the decision-making process (see Figure 4).
Quality and happiness are the main consequences, also known as the main drivers of the
future decision-making process. Quality has been perceived as signi?cant towards
concepts like family time and the enjoyment of nice moments, which in return lead to
happiness. These moments of closeness brought the couples a sense of quality:
Figure 3 Transition of the decision-making process due to parenthood
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When we go on holiday we can relax, we can be together, we can enjoy each other company with
the child and us as a couples. This is very special to us which in the end brings a lot of
appreciated moments which lift up as well our daily life.
In order to guarantee quality and happiness the orientation step of the decision making
process receives a higher intensity. This intensity refers to the way the information will be
gathered and reviewed, where reliability, trust, and con?dence are perceived as essential
concepts. Trust is found in the use of personal sources due to familiarity of holiday habits of
friends and families. The more intensive use of informal information sources due to the higher
degree of perceived trustworthiness is con?rmed (Bieger and Laesser, 2004). Within the
main decision concepts like convenience, con?dence and pleasure are derived.
Transportation is the main focus of convenience because the travel itself should be
relaxing and should not contribute to stress. The decision concerning accommodation is
mainly based on safety and con?dence, the couples argued that they will demand a higher
value of hygienic standards and require speci?c child facilities. On the other hand,
accommodation has received also a function of pleasure because the interaction with other
children has been perceived as important element of a holiday. Obrador (2012) con?rms the
strong focus on social functions in family holidays nowadays. According to Bansal and Eislet
(2003), the value of perceived safety refers to the functional value of the destination. Previous
research argues that the concept of reliability, perceived quality and uncertainty are linked to
concepts like functions and values of a holiday without a child (Thornton and Williams, 1997;
Nickerson and Jurowski, 2001; Kang et al., 2003; Ricci and del Missier, 2004);
notwithstanding, this study con?rms these concepts also for the decision-making process
when children are involved.
5. Discussion
The study at hand validates Decrop’s (2006) argument, that variables such as destination,
period and duration, are far less stable. However, this study indicated that regardless of the
consumption during a speci?c life cycle phase, some aspects remain stable for tourists,
such as the motivation ‘‘being away from home’’ but also the pricing and quality of
accommodation. The interviews exposed that changes occur in the decision-making
process due to diverse restrictions such as money, time and concerns. This is supported by
Decrop (2006) arguing that economical and social constraints are taken into account in
family decision making processes. This study explicitly shows that emotions rank high in
terms of change when transferring into the life-cycle stage of parenthood. The emotional
responses originate from a set of interrelated consequences relating to a set of values
important for speci?c decisions. In addition, this study moreover supports the fact that family
holidays are a potential core component for families to maintain a happy family life (Carr,
2011; Obrador, 2012). The in-depth assessment of expected changes, values related to
changes, and future intentions, revealed the underlying systems of values that steer tourists
making decisions. Considering the position of the transition to parenthood, the study was
able to grasp the progression of future holiday choices when the ?rst child is present.
Principally the tourism industry should give notice to the resilient shift from consumers
transferring into parenthood. This change mainly relies on consequences that can be served
by different characteristics in a holiday package, like children animation and
accommodation with high hygienic standards. Being aware of such requirements can
Figure 4 Hierarchal value map of consequences
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also avoid service failure and complaints and negative word-of-mouth. In addition, as shown
by the informants, there is a need to introduce new and/or added components that can
create feelings supporting the overall holiday experience. Thus understanding the core
underlying values becomes an essential tool for market differentiation and successful
segmentation. As Schouten et al. (2007) contend, a signi?cant link to different dimensions of
value does create higher level of satisfaction, loyal behaviour and competitive advantages.
The need to listen to the customer and to integrate the customer in the service delivery
process becomes vital strategies to survive. Besides that, this study proves that customers
are highly aware of their needs and wants for future holidays. This study moreover
emphasises the importance of understanding the customer more in-depth in order to
support unique experiences that go beyond the ordinary.
With regards to further research, other observational methods have to be employed. The
collection of information relating to decision making can only evoke faults if the research
would take place after the couples transform into parents-to-be. The study at hand focused
on parents-to-be in order to capture future holiday plans. This study can thus act as
reference point when conducting studies observing the actual decision-making process
when the ?rst child is involved. Therefore the setting of a longitudinal study can surmount
these limitations, for example by taking the period into account after the couples transform
into parents in order to capture the changes. Nevertheless, generalisation should be
carefully taken into account in terms of cultural backgrounds, which can precipitate changes
as well.
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An adjustment model’’, Tourism Management, Vol. 33 No. 3, pp. 635-645.
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Burlington, VT.
Corresponding author
Lidija Lalicic can be contacted at: [email protected]
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doc_251462243.pdf
The aim of this study is to understand how parents-to-be expect their future holidays with
their first child to change accordingly, and most important the reasoning behind this.
International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research
Parents-to-be and future holiday planning: what is it all about?
Lidija Lalicic
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To cite this document:
Lidija Lalicic , (2014),"Parents-to-be and future holiday planning: what is it all about?", International J ournal of Culture,
Tourism and Hospitality Research, Vol. 8 Iss 1 pp. 48 - 57
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Parents-to-be and future holiday planning:
what is it all about?
Lidija Lalicic
Abstract
Purpose – The aim of this study is to understand how parents-to-be expect their future holidays with
their ?rst child to change accordingly, and most important the reasoning behind this.
Design/methodology/approach – By the use of a qualitative-explorative research approach
(Grounded Theory method), ten in-depth interviews were done with Dutch parents-to-be, expecting
their ?rst child.
Findings – The results show that emotional response ranks high in terms of the occurred changes,
which originate from a set of interrelated consequences. A strong link with a deep fundamental basis
rooted in daily life values can be made.
Research limitations/implications – To surmount the limitations of this study observational methods
would have to be employed. The collection of information relating to decision making can only evoke
faults if the research would take place after the couples transform into parents-to-be through a setting of
a longitudinal study. In addition, generalization should be carefully taken into account in terms of cultural
backgrounds, which can devise changes as well.
Practical implications – This will oblige the tourismindustry to consider product differentiation to serve
this segment better and to capture a competitive position in the dynamic tourism industry.
Originality/value – The holiday has been perceived as a part of daily life and should create a certain
degree of added value which refers to a deeper fundamental basis. Therefore, it can be argued that this
study contributed to the decision-making literature by going beyond the scope of family holidays.
Keywords Consumer behaviour, Decison making process, Life cycle stages
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction
Families are representing the predominant social group of people spending their leisure time
by going on holiday (Nichols and Snepenger, 1988; Livin et al., 2004). The fact that family
structures and societal values are changing also makes the picture of family holidays and
related decision-making process ambiguous (Carr, 2011). Therefore the challenging task of
unfolding the unobservable process of decision-making of tourists has gained attention on
the research agenda. A discussion about family cycle stages as an in?uence has been
recognised by tourismresearch (Thornton and Williams, 1997; Gitelson and Kerstetter, 1990;
Fodness, 1994; Pearce and Lee, 2005; Decrop, 2006; Voigt and Laing, 2010). According to
Decrop (2006) the holiday decision-making process of families is in?uenced by
determinants such as occupation and economic status. Key factors such as time
constraints and emotional responses are causing different meaning of attributes when
children are involved (Thornton and Williams, 1997; Nickerson and Jurowski, 2001; Kang
et al., 2003; Ricci and del Missier, 2004). In addition, it can be argued that children in?uence
their parents by their expressive role and their demands during the holiday (Ricci and del
Missier, 2004; Voigt and Laing, 2010). Different studies have proven the fact that young
children in?uence the holiday by their need to have set meal times and be kept content (Ricci
PAGE 48
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VOL. 8 NO. 1 2014, pp. 48-57, Q Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 1750-6182 DOI 10.1108/IJCTHR-06-2013-0042
Lidija Lalicic is a
Researcher and Lecturer in
the Department of Tourism
and Service Management,
Modul University, Vienna,
Austria.
Received 28 June 2013
Revised 20 January 2014
Accepted 20 January 2014
The author is grateful to MSc
Suzan Becks, Open University
Heerlen, The Netherlands for
insightful comments on earlier
versions of this paper as well as
for her patient and valuable
editing services.
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and del Missier, 2004; Thornton and Williams, 1997). Moreover parents consider the
satisfaction of their children more than their own (Ricci and del Missier, 2004).
However, different authors claim that there is a need to focus more in-depth on the child in the
decision-making process (Cullingford, 1995; Thornton and Williams, 1997; Nickerson and
Jurowski, 2001, Kang et al., 2003, Carr, 2011). The investigation of the expected changes of
tourists going into parenthood is of great importance in order to grasp on the underlying
drivers of the expected changes in the decision-making process. Schouten et al. (2007)
postulate that social, emotional and psychic connections to holiday experiences are of great
important for tourists’ satisfaction and future loyal behaviour. Therefore the main aims of this
study are to explain how decision making process is expected to change which factors
contribute to this expected change and discover the reasoning behind the excepted changes.
For managerial implications this study can provide practical insight in understanding what
families expect from their holiday, which elements need to be included. In addition, the study
can provide insights into elements illustrating constraints and factors impacting the decisions
when a child or children are involved. Knowing which values connections couples prioritise
when their ?rst child is involved allows tourism providers to increase the quality of tourist
experiences. In addition, the tourism industry can develop more appropriate product-market
packages. As such product differentiation is needed in order to serve this segment of parents
with young children. This implies positive spill over effects such as more intense bonding with
the customer, future loyalty customers, and an increase of competitive advantages.
2. Literature review
2.1 Holiday decision-making process
The domain of holiday decision-making has been covered by a diversity of research (i.e. van
Raaij and Francken, 1984; Nichols and Snepenger, 1988; Um and Crompton, 1990; Mansfeld,
1992; Maser and Weiermair, 1998; Decrop, 1999, 2006; Decrop and Snelders, 2005; Decrop
and Kozak, 2009; Sirakaya and Woodside, 2005; Papathanassis and Knolle, 2011). It can be
agreed on that tourists’ decision-making processes involve many sub-decisions which occur
continuously from prior to deciding ‘‘where to go’’ through to ‘‘what are we going to do now we
are here’’ and beyond (Smallman and Moore, 2010). In order to understand this complex topic,
different models have been developed to illustrate this decision-making process. Decrop (2006)
made a distinction between three pillars to fragment this domain. The ?rst pillar represents the
group of the microeconomic models where the holiday decision-making process is illustrated
step by step from the need to travel up to the evaluation of the decision. Concepts like product
characteristics and destination features are discussed as important standards for making
decisions. The second pillar represents the cognitive models, which embody variables like
awareness, perceptions and motivation that drive the decision-making process. The last pillar
represents interpretative frameworks, which can be seen as a combination of the ?rst two
approaches, visualizing the decision-making process as a multistage process with notions like
consideration sets and a rational information search (Decrop, 2006). However Smallman and
Moore (2010) argue that the current decision-making models mainly focus on identifying factors
that can explain how the decision-making process is operating and not on the initial why.
Conversely, many researchers acknowledge that decision-making is a dichotomous
process (Smallman and Moore, 2010). Different authors (e.g. Decrop, 1999) argue that
decisions proceed in sequential and hierarchical steps, since tourists are motivated to make
careful decisions for their holiday (Cai et al., 2004). Other authors argue that tourists are
problem-solvers following a number of distinct cognitive information processes to come to a
decision (Decrop and Snelders, 2004). Mansfeld (1992) argues that motivation strongly
in?uences the use of information in order to make the right decision. Emotions connected to
motivation can be feeling of escape from daily life meeting and living life of the locals and
stepping out of the domestic zone (e.g. Fodness and Murray, 1999; Maser and Weiermair,
1998; Bieger and Laesser, 2004; Cai et al., 2004; Decrop, 2006; Decrop and Kozak, 2009;
Hyde, 2009). Based on the previous discussion it can be argued that the choice of the
strategy used in ?nding the right information goes along with the purpose of the trip, the
length of the trip, mode of transport, travel party composition, family life cycle and income.
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According to Decrop (2006) there are four in?uences to notice: environmental, personal,
interpersonal and situational in?uences. Also to be perceived as the antecedents of
consumers’ behaviours during the decision-making process.
2.2 Family-life-cycle
A transition in a person’s life, seen as a signi?cant personal as well as situational in?uence on
the decision-making process, derives from the concept of life-cycle stages. Watson (1993)
argues that life-cycle typologies are multivariate concepts de?ned by the age, marital status,
and employment status of the individual, and by the age of the youngest child. Pearce and Lee
(2005), referring to the concept of career development, argue that the way consumers see
themselves and the meaning of attributes changes over time. Moreover, Fodness (1992)
indicates that every phase in the family life cycle is however relatively homogenous in
purchasing behaviour and attitudes. Woodside et al. (2006) argue that a person’s path through
life such as marriage, decision related to children, and travel and leisure pursuits comes from
an individual ecological systems perspective. The ecological system perspective considers
micro- and macrosystems. The microsystem of consumers includes their past and present
roles and actions that often affect subconscious and conscious thinking. Macrosystems refer to
factors such as social class and culture in?uencing leisure activities choices. Woodside et al.
(2006) contend that the ecological system theory is relevant and useful in explaining and
describing the interactions of constraining factors affecting lifestyle, leisure, and travel
behaviour. Decrop (2006) classi?es tourist transitions of moments by four types: modi?cation of
the family structure (switching from being a single to couple), the modi?cation of occupational
status, age and health problems, and modi?cation of spatial environment.
2.3 Children in the holiday decision-making process
In tourism research, children are recognised to play an active role in the decision-making
process (Ricci and del Missier, 2004). Decrop (2006) argues that while children possess the
ability to make suggestions, the ultimate decision appears to remain with the parents. Ricci
and del Missier (2004) claim that the youngest children, in general, are unable to take part in
negotiations, but their in?uence derives from a need to have set meals times and be kept
content. Therefore it is generally assumed that children subscribe to whatever choices their
parents make, and that they have little secondary in?uence on their parents particular choice
of holiday destination (Ricci and del Missier, 2004). Decrop (2006) distinguishes between
objective and subjective constraints when children are involved. The objective constraints
refer to situations such as babies and younger children requiring more care and attention, so
parents often decide not to go on holiday. The subjective constraint refers to, for example,
parents do avoid improvisation when their travel plans involve small children (Decrop, 2006).
However, going beyond the factual changes and constraints, it remains unclear why speci?c
changes occur in the decision-making process when the ?rst child is involved.
3. Methodology
3.1 Grounded theory method
The majority of research on tourist decision-making processes adopts a quantitative
approach to analyse tourists’ decisions. The focus is mainly on identifying variables that can
predict tourist choices and planning behaviour (Sirakaya and Woodside, 2005). Different
authors (Blichfeldt and Kessler, 2009; Smallman and Moore, 2010) argue that due to
previous methodological choices, explanations about how and why factors within the
decision-making process are interrelated, are limited. Moreover, Papathanassis and Knolle
(2011) argue that building on the ?ndings of others is catalytic to the evolution of knowledge,
but it can also be limited to the theoretical scope and in?uence the interpretations of
researchers. As research is facing the challenge of unfolding the complexity of the
decision-making process, going beyond the scope of, as Smallman and Moore (2010) is
essential. Therefore this study has taken a qualitative-explorative research approach by the
use of the Grounded Theory (GT), developed by Glaser and Strauss (1967). Decrop (2006,
p. 42), using GTas well, in addition argues that through an inductive approach a closer ?t to
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reality, more room for discovery, an alternative explanation and new theoretical leads can be
accomplished. Daengbuppha et al. (2006) show that in several tourists’ and consumer
studies GT has been adopted. This illustrates that GT approach is a rather fruitful and
successful approach when identifying frequent realistic patterns in speci?c situations.
3.2 Sampling
The data collection phase of this study was carried out over a three-month period from
March 2011 to May 2011. Ten couples were initially recruited through online forums,
pregnancy gym schools and by word-of-mouth. However snowball sampling occurred to be
the most suited sampling technique. Participants knew other pregnant couples, and
supported the notion to involve the new couples as a part of the sample group. The couples
were selected based on three criteria: pregnant with their ?rst child; Dutch nationality, to
avoid cultural dissonance; and going once a year on holiday. The interviews were conducted
with both partners, as such in a couple-form. The main reason to conduct the interview in this
setting refers to aim to capture underlying ideas of the future joint decision-making process.
All interviews were audio-taped and recorded, additional information about the way and the
context in which things were said were written down during and after each interview. The
duration of the interviews was between 60 and 90 minutes and they were conducted in the
couples’ homes following Decrop’s (2006) argument that the major challenge with GT is the
naturalistic setting when conducting the interviews.
The couples of the ?rst four interviews discussed three topics: overall holiday and travel
activities general expectations and reasons, and future holiday plans and expected
in?uence due to their baby. Sub-questions referred to issues such as previous holiday
patterns and factors in?uencing their choices. Additionally questions were posed such as
‘‘where in the holiday planning do they expect the changes to occur?’’, and if they had an
idea about the future holidays with their child. Moreover, questions relating to aspects which
they would assume that their future holiday, necessarily and conditionally, needs to include.
The data derived from the interviews started to merge into a clear pattern. For example, after
three interviews, it became clear that holiday decisions were mainly focused on
accommodation, transportation and destination, and they were slightly in?uenced by
arrival of the child. The researchers interpretations (etic observation) of the data collected
from the ?rst interview could be discussed during the second interview (Woodside et al.,
2006). According to Draucker et al. (2007) a new focus on the interview structure can be
useful in order to gain speci?c information regarding an emerging concept. Due to the
constant comparison the internal validity was assured as well as the level of inter-rater
reliability since the coding was done by two coders independently.
3.3 Coding process
The data were categorised through the use of three levels coding (open, axial and selective
coding) from the most descriptive to the most interpretative level. First, the interview
transcripts and ?eld notes were split and coded, here the line-by-line analysis was done
initially following an open coding process (Schatzman, 1991; see Table I for examples).
The second part of coding entailed a comparison between categories by the use of axial
coding as suggested by Schatzman (1991). Although axial coding is still considered to be a
form of open coding, it consists of intense analysis of one category at time in order to
develop concepts (Corbin and Strauss, 1997, p. 32). See Figure 1 for developments of
concepts linked to categories.
According to Daengbuppha et al. (2006) the main aimof axial coding is to generate tentative
statements of relationships between phenomena, by relating categories with subcategories
(see Figure 2).
Through the use of conditional matrix it was possible to search for patterns and themes
across all conceptual categories, and to identify the relationships and interactions between
them (see Figure 3). The matrix enables the possibility to group the generated data into
concepts and to place them in the right position among each other, therefore this approach
made it possible to establish the themes and patterns for an interactive experience.
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4. Results
A framework illustrating the decision making process prior to parenthood is done in order to
provide a solid context. As illustrated in Figure 3, it classi?es and incorporates four sets of
processes which are presented as phases: perception; the formation of subjective beliefs
about the concept of a holiday preconditions; requirements including constraints and
Table I Open coding of interviews memo’s
Example Commentary
A holiday means a lot for them, ?rst of all they want to go every year
on holiday because they see it as an important part in their life
The couple argued here that they are going every year for at least
two weeks on holiday. They have it yearly in their planning and they
argue that it an important part in their life. A holiday can be seen as
a yearly purchase
Here the frequency is mentioned, there are going once a year with
a duration of two weeks. They mention as well the importance it
has in their daily life
Frequency, duration and importance
They prefer to book a small family B&B, which gives them the
possibility to meet locals. But one of the main reason they do not
want to stay in a hotel is the quantity of guests and non-?exible
times of meals. As well they argued that a B&B is cheaper
This shows the way they prefer an accommodation, here they
argue in terms of seize but also price
Accommodation-decision
Price, seize
They argued that before they are going to book or even consider a
holiday, they use search engine Google a lot and the inspiration
comes from random things. They argue that sometimes they get
inspired by a cookbook, to go to a destination for example. On the
other hand, they buy travel magazines to inspire themselves what
is going on in the destination. Then they argued that they decided
to go on holiday sometimes just one month before but sometimes
they can also plan it half year in advance
The couple talks in terms of orientating themselves to gather
information or get inspired. They mentioned different sources,
internet is one main source, but also travel magazines. Here they
also mention howlong time before they plan their holidays as such
the duration of when booking took place
Orientation, sources, duration
Figure 1 Illustration of the main decisions and considerations in previous holiday-decision
making process deriving from the interviews
Figure 2 Paradigm model, building categorical structure
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determinants for a holiday orientation, the way the tourists prepare themselves for a holiday
decisions to undertake (choice process); which includes considerations and constraints
?nal decision made. In order to reply to the constraints, the couples argued to undertake
different actions within the decision making process, the following actions were discussed.
At this point, a set of four actions were mentioned: review of subjective beliefs, reset of
requirements, the use of more personal information sources, and new ways to approach to
the main decisions. During the interviews two main concepts emerged representing the
drivers of the changes. The couples argued that the concept of quality represents family
time and the enjoyment of nice moments. In this study, the holiday duration is assumed to
decrease, which, as the couples argue, will lead to fewer moments of stress and
inconvenience. At this point, the couples mentioned that for the ?rst years of the child’s life,
the duration will be shortened, as one couple stated in the following quote:
We normally go ten to 14 day holidays, but we are considering that for the ?rst holiday with the
child, we will go for maximum one week. This holiday is also a way to see, experience and so on,
how the holiday will be with our child, and then we can make new plans for future holidays.
The causal conditions of parenthood are two interrelated facts determining the change in the
decision-making process. The ?rst one refers to the transition into a new life cycle stage and
secondly the fact of being pregnant with the ?rst baby. The perceived quality, as discussed
by Bansal and Eislet (2003), that a holiday should stimulate feelings or emotional states in a
tourist is con?rmed. In this study, a direct link to the concept of happiness is given by the
couples. Um and Crompton (1990) at this point claim that attitudes have been shown to be a
useful predictor of overall preferences. The actions undertaken response to handle the
conditions (transition into parenthood), are derived from a set of consequences. These
consequences can be seen as interrelated values and thus the underlying ‘‘why’s’’ of the
changes within the decision-making process (see Figure 4).
Quality and happiness are the main consequences, also known as the main drivers of the
future decision-making process. Quality has been perceived as signi?cant towards
concepts like family time and the enjoyment of nice moments, which in return lead to
happiness. These moments of closeness brought the couples a sense of quality:
Figure 3 Transition of the decision-making process due to parenthood
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When we go on holiday we can relax, we can be together, we can enjoy each other company with
the child and us as a couples. This is very special to us which in the end brings a lot of
appreciated moments which lift up as well our daily life.
In order to guarantee quality and happiness the orientation step of the decision making
process receives a higher intensity. This intensity refers to the way the information will be
gathered and reviewed, where reliability, trust, and con?dence are perceived as essential
concepts. Trust is found in the use of personal sources due to familiarity of holiday habits of
friends and families. The more intensive use of informal information sources due to the higher
degree of perceived trustworthiness is con?rmed (Bieger and Laesser, 2004). Within the
main decision concepts like convenience, con?dence and pleasure are derived.
Transportation is the main focus of convenience because the travel itself should be
relaxing and should not contribute to stress. The decision concerning accommodation is
mainly based on safety and con?dence, the couples argued that they will demand a higher
value of hygienic standards and require speci?c child facilities. On the other hand,
accommodation has received also a function of pleasure because the interaction with other
children has been perceived as important element of a holiday. Obrador (2012) con?rms the
strong focus on social functions in family holidays nowadays. According to Bansal and Eislet
(2003), the value of perceived safety refers to the functional value of the destination. Previous
research argues that the concept of reliability, perceived quality and uncertainty are linked to
concepts like functions and values of a holiday without a child (Thornton and Williams, 1997;
Nickerson and Jurowski, 2001; Kang et al., 2003; Ricci and del Missier, 2004);
notwithstanding, this study con?rms these concepts also for the decision-making process
when children are involved.
5. Discussion
The study at hand validates Decrop’s (2006) argument, that variables such as destination,
period and duration, are far less stable. However, this study indicated that regardless of the
consumption during a speci?c life cycle phase, some aspects remain stable for tourists,
such as the motivation ‘‘being away from home’’ but also the pricing and quality of
accommodation. The interviews exposed that changes occur in the decision-making
process due to diverse restrictions such as money, time and concerns. This is supported by
Decrop (2006) arguing that economical and social constraints are taken into account in
family decision making processes. This study explicitly shows that emotions rank high in
terms of change when transferring into the life-cycle stage of parenthood. The emotional
responses originate from a set of interrelated consequences relating to a set of values
important for speci?c decisions. In addition, this study moreover supports the fact that family
holidays are a potential core component for families to maintain a happy family life (Carr,
2011; Obrador, 2012). The in-depth assessment of expected changes, values related to
changes, and future intentions, revealed the underlying systems of values that steer tourists
making decisions. Considering the position of the transition to parenthood, the study was
able to grasp the progression of future holiday choices when the ?rst child is present.
Principally the tourism industry should give notice to the resilient shift from consumers
transferring into parenthood. This change mainly relies on consequences that can be served
by different characteristics in a holiday package, like children animation and
accommodation with high hygienic standards. Being aware of such requirements can
Figure 4 Hierarchal value map of consequences
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also avoid service failure and complaints and negative word-of-mouth. In addition, as shown
by the informants, there is a need to introduce new and/or added components that can
create feelings supporting the overall holiday experience. Thus understanding the core
underlying values becomes an essential tool for market differentiation and successful
segmentation. As Schouten et al. (2007) contend, a signi?cant link to different dimensions of
value does create higher level of satisfaction, loyal behaviour and competitive advantages.
The need to listen to the customer and to integrate the customer in the service delivery
process becomes vital strategies to survive. Besides that, this study proves that customers
are highly aware of their needs and wants for future holidays. This study moreover
emphasises the importance of understanding the customer more in-depth in order to
support unique experiences that go beyond the ordinary.
With regards to further research, other observational methods have to be employed. The
collection of information relating to decision making can only evoke faults if the research
would take place after the couples transform into parents-to-be. The study at hand focused
on parents-to-be in order to capture future holiday plans. This study can thus act as
reference point when conducting studies observing the actual decision-making process
when the ?rst child is involved. Therefore the setting of a longitudinal study can surmount
these limitations, for example by taking the period into account after the couples transform
into parents in order to capture the changes. Nevertheless, generalisation should be
carefully taken into account in terms of cultural backgrounds, which can precipitate changes
as well.
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Corresponding author
Lidija Lalicic can be contacted at: [email protected]
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