Push and Pull Travel Motivation: Segmentation of the Greek Market for Social Media Marketing in Tourism

Christina Katsikari, Leonidas Hatzithomas, Thomas Fotiadis and Dimitrios Folinas
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Christina Katsikari: Department of Business Administration, University of Macedonia, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece
Leonidas Hatzithomas: Department of Business Administration, University of Macedonia, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece
Thomas Fotiadis: Department of Production Engineering and Management, Democritus University of Thrace, 67100 Xanthi, Greece
Dimitrios Folinas: Department of Logistics, International Hellenic University, 60100 Katerini, Greece

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 11, 1-18

Abstract: The intense competition in the tourism sector increasingly pushes tourism destination marketers to seek more effective promotional practices, so that they remain competitive and attract more visitors. The fast expansion of the Internet and social media provides the opportunity for destination marketers to approach potential tourists in a simple and cost-effective way. While managing the official pages of destinations on social media, the basic question that arises is the configuration of the content, and how attractive this content could be for potential tourists. The purpose of this study is to investigate what elements of a destination, when displayed on social media, could be attractive factors for tourists. Through the analysis of push and pull tourism motivation factors in particular, this study focuses on the segmentation of the Greek market for those traveling abroad and the emergence of the basic elements that could attract each segment through social media. The respondents have been classified into four segments, according to the motives that more greatly influence their desire to travel. This analysis also shows the important relationships between these segments and the pull motivation factors on social media. The study concludes with findings and suggestions that can contribute to the planning of an effective social media marketing plan.

Keywords: market segmentation; push motivation; pull motivation; tourism; social media; Greece (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (15)

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