Does consumer need for uniqueness influence travel decision-making?

Abstract

The present paper aims to assess the impact of Consumer Need for Uniqueness (CNFU) in tourists on travel decision-making, particularly, with regard to preferred destination types and activity preferences. The impact of self-attributed need for uniqueness (SANU) in moderating the aforementioned relationships is also examined. The data has been collected using a cross sectional survey on a sample of 288 tourists from various destinations in India. The hypotheses were tested through CFA and SEM using SPSS. The findings indicate that an individual with more need for uniqueness, both as a psychological trait and as a consumer disposition, may prefer unique destinations and unique activities in comparison to those with lower SANU and CNFU. This has important implications for travel and tourism marketers who may appeal to the NFU trait in tourists while promoting travel destinations and activity packages that provide unique, curated experiences for better acquisition and retention efforts.