The Consumer Behaviour in Tourism Symposium (CBTS) has become an important venue for introducing and debating new models that explain how tourists think, feel, and behave in complex travel environments. As tourism contexts evolve due to digitalisation, sustainability pressures, and changing social values, traditional consumer behaviour models often struggle to capture these dynamics. CBTS responds to this gap by encouraging the development of innovative, evidence-based models that better reflect contemporary tourist decision-making.
Rather than relying on static or linear frameworks, research presented at CBTS increasingly focuses on adaptive, emotion-driven, and context-sensitive models. These emerging approaches help scholars and practitioners understand not only what choices tourists make but why those choices shift across time, cultures, and situations.
Table of Contents
Overview
| Model Focus | Key Characteristics |
|---|---|
| Decision Dynamics | Non-linear and iterative decision processes |
| Emotional Drivers | Integration of affect, mood, and memory |
| Context Sensitivity | Influence of situational and environmental factors |
| Digital Mediation | Role of platforms, algorithms, and online cues |
| Social Influence | Peer interaction and shared meaning |
| Sustainability Lens | Values-based and ethical considerations |
| Adaptive Behaviour | Continuous learning and behaviour change |
This overview table outlines the main characteristics of the new consumer behaviour models discussed at CBTS.
Decision Dynamics
CBTS research increasingly challenges traditional linear decision-making models that assume tourists move neatly from need recognition to purchase and evaluation. Emerging models presented at the symposium highlight decision-making as a dynamic and recursive process influenced by emotions, social input, and real-time information.
These models show that tourists frequently revisit decisions, adjust preferences, and respond to unexpected stimuli during the travel journey. Understanding this fluidity helps researchers and practitioners better predict behaviour and design interventions that align with actual tourist experiences.
Emotional Integration
- New CBTS models embed emotions as central drivers of behaviour rather than secondary outcomes.
- Feelings such as anticipation, anxiety, excitement, and satisfaction are treated as active forces shaping decisions.
By integrating emotional processes, these models explain why tourists sometimes act irrationally or contradict previous preferences. CBTS research demonstrates that emotional peaks and memories strongly influence satisfaction, loyalty, and post-trip evaluations.
Context Awareness
Emerging consumer behaviour models at CBTS emphasise the role of context in shaping tourist behaviour. Context includes physical environments, social settings, cultural norms, and situational constraints such as time pressure or perceived risk.
Rather than assuming stable preferences, these models account for how behaviour changes depending on context. This approach provides a more realistic understanding of tourist actions across different destinations, travel stages, and cultural environments.
Digital Mediation
- CBTS models increasingly incorporate digital touchpoints as behavioural influences.
- Online reviews, social media content, and algorithmic recommendations are treated as decision inputs.
Digital mediation models explain how technology filters information, shapes expectations, and influences trust. These frameworks are particularly relevant as tourists rely more heavily on digital platforms for inspiration, planning, and evaluation.
Social Construction
CBTS research highlights consumer behaviour as a socially constructed process. Emerging models explore how tourists co-create meaning through interaction with travel companions, online communities, and host populations.
These models move beyond individual psychology to consider collective behaviour. Social validation, shared narratives, and group identity play significant roles in shaping destination choice, activity participation, and experience interpretation.
Value Orientation
Another important development at CBTS is the integration of personal values into consumer behaviour models. Research shows that tourists increasingly consider ethical, environmental, and social values when making travel decisions.
Models incorporating value orientation explain why some tourists prioritise sustainability, authenticity, or community impact over price or convenience. This perspective helps destinations and businesses align offerings with evolving consumer values.
Learning Adaptation
- Emerging models presented at CBTS view tourists as learning agents.
- Past experiences, feedback, and reflection influence future behaviour.
Adaptive behaviour models highlight how tourists adjust expectations and preferences over time. Learning from previous trips shapes destination choice, risk tolerance, and satisfaction thresholds, creating more personalised behaviour patterns.
Temporal Perspective
CBTS models increasingly adopt a temporal view of consumer behaviour. Rather than focusing on single moments, they examine behaviour across pre-trip, on-site, and post-trip phases.
This longitudinal perspective explains how expectations form, experiences unfold, and memories influence future decisions. Temporal models help researchers and practitioners understand behaviour as an evolving journey rather than a single transaction.
Methodological Innovation
CBTS supports the development of these emerging models through innovative research methods. Experiments, longitudinal studies, real-time data capture, and mixed-method approaches allow researchers to test complex behavioural relationships.
Methodological innovation ensures that new models are empirically grounded and practically relevant. CBTS encourages methodological transparency and critical discussion, strengthening the credibility of proposed frameworks.
Practical Relevance
Emerging consumer behaviour models presented at CBTS are not purely theoretical. They offer practical implications for destination management, marketing strategy, experience design, and policy development.
By reflecting real-world complexity, these models help tourism stakeholders anticipate behavioural shifts, design responsive services, and create experiences that align with how tourists actually behave.
In Summary
The emerging consumer behaviour models presented at CBTS reflect a significant shift toward more realistic, adaptive, and human-centred frameworks. By integrating emotions, context, digital mediation, social interaction, and values, these models provide deeper insight into contemporary tourist behaviour. CBTS plays a critical role in advancing these frameworks by fostering rigorous debate, methodological innovation, and interdisciplinary collaboration. As tourism environments continue to evolve, the models developed and refined at CBTS will remain essential for understanding and responding to changing consumer behaviour patterns.
