Changes in consumer behaviour - The challenges for providers of tourist services in the destination

Abstract

The article studies the manner in which contents of services of tourist products at the destination are specialised, according to the needs and requirements of tourists. The first part highlights a theoretical review on the history of the tourism industry with emphasis on motives as a key factor, which is important in tourist decision-making when choosing the destination. In order to study the level of the specialisation of tourist offers in Dubrovnik particularly, in accordance with needs of tourists, the research was focused on: (1) tourist behaviour in terms of selection of key factors that meet tourist needs, important when making decisions about travelling to a destination; and (2) attitudes of the tourist consumers in accordance with the level of specialised contents of services used. Using the method of inferential statistics, the empirical research was conducted on a sample size of 327 tourists. Demographic characteristics and characteristics of the tourists’ stay in Dubrovnik were taken into account, considering the assessment level of the specialisation and defining the main factors that influence the selection of a destination. Our findings speak in favour of the majority of services in Dubrovnik having specialised features and content, in accordance with the needs of tourists.