TABLE OF CONTENTS Usage segmentation focuses on the potential tourist's purpose in making the visit. These usage segments would include business travelers, travelers visiting friends and relatives, day and weekend visitors, and traditional vacationers.
One usage segment of visitors that travels to the city comes for the primary purpose of conducting business. These business travelers may visit the city to attend a meeting, visit another company, or make sales calls. In this case the visitor will most likely use the city's lodging and eating establishments but consume little other tourist products and services.
However, tourism marketers should not overlook this usage segment of business visitors as a possible secondary tourist segment. Though they travel to the city to conduct business, this segment may also be interested in activities that could fill their free time after the workday is completed. Therefore tourism marketers may decide to promote to this usage segment evening activities such as cultural and sports events. Besides increasing attendance at these events, targeting business travelers can be another means of increasing overall visitor numbers. If business travelers enjoy what the city has to offer, they may also consider it as a possible vacation destination for their families.
Another usage segment that is often overlooked is people who travel to the city to visit local residents. The local residents who host these visitors will be looking for activities to share with their friends and relatives. In fact this may be the only time that local...
