Despite the fact that horse-based tourism is popular as a high-impact recreational activity, this research field has received little attention. Although motivation theories have been related to jobs and tourism in general, little is known about the target groups of equestrian tourists.
The purpose of this study is to investigate, how the Landsmót affect the motivation of the German Icelandic Horse community regarding their decision to travel to Iceland. Special focus was put on their individual motivation to visit the Landsmót and the resulting impact on their final travel decision.
To identify correlations between tourist motivation and destination choice, the study is based on a cross-sectional explanatory research purpose, using a mixed-model research method which consists of a survey and an archival research.
Responses from 222 German Icelandic Horse community members were used in order to answer the research questions. The results illustrate, regardless of gender, that equestrian tourists of the German Icelandic Horse community were mostly motivated by entertainment and aesthetic needs, rather than escape or self-esteem. However, comparisons based on the colonial cup race study by Daniels and Norman (2005) show significant differences in the motivation need of group affiliation.
No direct correlation exists between the travel motivation of the Icelandic Horse community of Germany and the Landsmót. Despite its significant publicity among the German Icelandic Horse community, it is not part of the process of choosing this destination because of this special horse-based event. According to that the Landsmót it is not the determining factor for choosing Iceland as a travel destination.
Nevertheless, this study provides a background and status quo for further specific investigations, regarding the travel behaviour of Icelandic Horse Community of Germany.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Research aim
1.3 Research question
2. Literature Review
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Iceland
2.2.1 Economy
2.2.1.1 Recession
2.2.2 Tourism
2.2.2.1 Horse-based Tourism in Iceland
2.2.2.2 The Icelandic Horse
2.2.2.3 The Landsmót
2.3 Tourist behaviour
2.3.1 Differentiation between consumer and tourist behaviour
2.3.2 Tourist decision-making process
2.4 Tourist motivation
2.4.1 Need-based motivation
2.4.2 Motivation of equestrian tourists
3. Methodology
3.1 Rationale behind the methodology
3.2 Limitations
3.3 The sample
3.4 Primary data
3.4.1 Survey
3.4.2 Pilot test
3.5 Secondary data
3.5.1 Multiple source
3.5.2 Survey-based secondary data
4. Presentation & Analysis of Findings
4.1 Participants relation to Icelandic Horses
4.2 Iceland
4.3 The Landsmót
4.3.1 Motivation of visiting the Landsmót
4.4 Demographic numbers
5. Discussion of findings
6. Conclusion
Objectives and Themes
This study aims to investigate how the Landsmót, a significant horse-based event, influences the motivation of the German Icelandic Horse community to travel to Iceland. It explores the relationship between equestrian tourist motivation and destination choice, particularly whether the event serves as a primary driver for travel.
- The role of horse-based events in tourist decision-making processes.
- Motivation factors of the German Icelandic Horse community regarding travel to Iceland.
- Analysis of the correlation between event participation and destination choice.
- Impact of the economic context on travel behavior for niche tourism.
- Comparison of equestrian tourist motivations with established sport fan motivation models.
Extract from the Book
1.1 Introduction
Horse-based tourism has received little attention from researchers (Helgadóttir and Sigurdardottir, 2008: 105) despite its world-wide popularity as “high-impact recreational activity” (Newsome et al., 2008: 144). Depending on the definition, equestrian tourism can be classified as “farm tourism”, “adventure tourism”, “urban tourism” as well as “ecotourism” (Ollenburg, 2005: 47). Consequently many touristic products refer to horses and are available at different prices and places depending on the customers’ individual skills and experiences (Ollenburg, 2005: 47). Due to the fact that all horse based products are linked to the subordinate factor horse, it is the tour operators´ responsibility to guarantee skilled staff, interacting and managing tourists and horses (Ollenburg, 2005: 47).
Horse-based activities are “[…] often seen as part of an area´s cultural and historic heritage […]” (Newsome et al., 2008: 144). Iceland and its special Icelandic horse breed has a long and old tradition, as it is attributed to Iceland as a travel destination and “[…] is one of the [most important] icons used in promotional imagery shaping visitors expectations […]” (Helgadóttir and Sigurdardottir, 2008: 105). Based on the cultural and historic heritage, the Icelanders celebrate every two years the most popular sport- and breeding tournament within the Icelandic scene – the Landsmót.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the research background, the significance of horse-based tourism, and defines the research aim and question regarding the influence of the Landsmót on German Icelandic Horse community travelers.
2. Literature Review: Examines existing theories on tourism, tourist behavior, and motivation, while providing context on Iceland's economy, tourism, and the specific significance of the Icelandic Horse and the Landsmót event.
3. Methodology: Outlines the cross-sectional explanatory research design, detailing the use of both online surveys and archival research to identify correlations between motivation and destination choice.
4. Presentation & Analysis of Findings: Presents the empirical data collected from the survey, including demographics, participant relations to Icelandic horses, and their specific motivations for visiting the Landsmót.
5. Discussion of findings: Critically evaluates the survey results, comparing them with secondary data and analyzing the role of income, age, and existing motivation theories in the travel behavior of the target group.
6. Conclusion: Summarizes the study's findings, stating that no direct correlation exists between the Landsmót and the travel motivation of the community as a whole, while suggesting areas for future research.
Keywords
Equestrian tourism, Landsmót, Iceland, travel motivation, Icelandic Horse, tourist behavior, destination choice, sports tourism, horse-based events, German Icelandic Horse community, tourist decision-making, niche tourism, market segmentation, motive analysis, visitor survey.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this dissertation?
The study investigates the travel motivation of the German Icelandic Horse community, specifically focusing on whether the Landsmót event in Iceland acts as a decisive factor in their travel decisions.
What are the central themes explored?
The key themes include horse-based tourism, tourist motivation theories, the significance of the Icelandic horse breed in marketing, and the decision-making processes of equestrian tourists.
What is the core research question?
The research asks: How does the Landsmót affect the motivation of the Icelandic Horse community of Germany to travel to Iceland?
Which methodology does the author employ?
The research uses a mixed-model approach, combining a quantitative online survey conducted among the German Icelandic Horse community with qualitative archival research on Icelandic tourism data.
What does the main body cover?
It covers theoretical frameworks for tourist behavior and motivation, provides background on the Icelandic tourism landscape, describes the survey methodology, and analyzes the resulting data regarding participant motivations.
Which keywords define this work?
Primary keywords include Equestrian tourism, Landsmót, travel motivation, Icelandic Horse, tourist behavior, destination choice, and sports tourism.
Does the Landsmót directly determine travel decisions?
The study concludes that no direct correlation exists; while many in the community are aware of the event, it is not the primary factor in their decision to travel to Iceland.
How does income influence the findings?
The discussion suggests that the Landsmót may hold greater appeal as a travel motive for higher-earning sub-groups within the community, though further research is required to confirm this.
What role does the 'purity' marketing concept play?
The study confirms that the "purity" branding of the Icelandic Horse is highly successful, as the majority of participants associate Iceland with being the country of origin for the breed.
- Quote paper
- Meike Bruch (Author), 2012, Motivation of equestrian tourists to travel to a horse-based event, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/198871
