In my research I have been focusing on conference tourism, which is one of the major forms of tourism, within business tourism. Besides reviewing conference tourism, the thesis has assessed the consumer behaviour of conference-tourists, as part of the marketing plan.
Researches of conference tourism in Hungary have not been widely conducted.
Professional literature does not exist in this area. However, there are some studies and researches which cover the theoretical basics within event organisation and business tourism. In addition to the studies covering the economic impacts, it is also worth reviewing the demand for conference tourism. By assessing consumer behaviour, we can easily identify the difference between the leisure-tourist and the business tourist who is a conference attendee.
The objective of this research, on the one hand has been to summarise and synthesise research results about tourism, and within that, about conference tourism, and on the other hand to examine international conferences held in Hungary and conference participants’
consumer behaviour.
The results of the empirical examinations can help decision makers to use the right marketing tools and with the help of this knowledge they could potentially become more successful in promoting Hungary as a conference venue, attracting more conferences to the country.
The goals of my research have been to identify the theoretical bases of conference tourism and consumer behaviour, to review these theoretical models in practice, to assess the consumer behaviour of conference attendees and to examine the possibility of clustering within conference tourism.
I have used a number of methodologies in order to analyse and evaluate conference tourism in Hungary and also the purchasing behaviours of the market. The research methodologies first included secondary and then primary research methods.
Secondary information and data were taken from tourism literature, statistics, analysis, studies and from marketing and consumer behaviour analyses.
Secondary research included Hungarian, English and German literature. For formulating the theory, both Hungarian studies and books were used, however for the research, foreign research materials were reviewed as Hungarian conference tourism and marketing does not have adequate literature to draw upon. Therefore the used literature and case studies were taken from a number of international sources.
For the primary research I have used questionnaires in both Hungarian and English with people attending international conferences in Hungary in 2009 and 2010. In addition I have had interviews with companies who organize international conferences and are involved in international conferences as facilitators. My research was completed with interviews made with the directors of official event organising firms. During the interviews I have requested their opinion about the result of the research questionnaire.
The research questionnaire was not only responded by Hungarian but also by foreign tourists who play an important role on the market of Hungarian conference tourism. The aim of questioning was to become thoroughly acquainted with and to investigate the consumer behaviour of conference tourists. From among the variables I have examined the next four in more detail: the frequency of participating, the specific spending, the examination of “spending-structure” and motivation. With the help of these variables I was able to conduct cluster analysis among the participants and managed to put them into five clusters.
In the case of the interviews with organizations I have completed the information acquired from the secondary data. There have been regular data collections about the consigner organizations on both national and international level so as to provide a clear picture, therefore the research mainly focuses on the factors of the “choice of location” as well as the “reasons behind decisions” in the first place. I have completed the interviews with the representatives of those organizations that have already organised international conferences in Hungary.
During the interviews with the head of event-organising firms, my intention was to validate the information received from the primary research. I have requested those people who were involved in the interviews to share their opinion about the result of the research, and they have added their notes to the data of my research.
The dissertation has four main sections. The first part introduces the theoretical background of tourism, conference tourism, market research, and the examination of consumer behaviour. The second section focuses on the content and methods of the research as well as its reasons. The third part presents the results of the empirical study.
And the final section includes the conclusion of the research, the approval or the rejection of the hypotheses.
By processing the secondary data and with the help of the empirical study carried out I was able to produce new scientific research results.
In my dissertation I have mapped the consumer behaviour in conference tourism for the conference organizers and for destinations. The significance analysis has shown which variables influence the different forms of consumer behaviour. With the help of multi-variable mathematical-statistical analyses I have formed five clusters which adequately represent the different consumers groups on the market of Hungarian conference tourism.
Moreover, by characterizing these clusters, the conference organizers and the destinations can easily reach potential participants to be able to provide the most suitable service package for their demands.
By using K-means cluster analysis of participants in conference tourism I have produced a novel scientific result and as a result also established the methods for further research.
Perhaps the most important result of the dissertation is that it has highlighted how complex conference tourism is and how significant role it plays within MICE tourism, in addition to business travels, incentive tourism and exhibitions. Although this type of tourism may not seem prominent considering the number of its participants, however it is still a significant phenomenon in the world of tourism with its economic impact and results.
Both methods used in the empirical study and the surveys of the participants as well as the
proved that there is both great potential, and worth exploring the demand side of conference tourism besides the supply side. From the point of view of marketing strategy planning it would be beneficial to get to know the above mentioned research results in order to use them.
On the basis of the results of the primary and secondary data analysis I have made some suggestions for planning the marketing strategies of domestic conference tourism and some of the enterprises in the service sector.
At the end of my dissertation I have shared my suggestions about the theoretical and practical use of my research results. Since in Hungary there have been scarcely any scientific studies conducted on conference tourism, it is advisable to become a suitable research topic in the future in accordance with its business potential.