TABLE OF CONTENTS Before tourism marketers can create a promotional message that will effectively motivate potential tourists to visit, they need to understand how consumers make purchase decisions. The standard model of the purchase process is a rational, five-step progression of need identification, search for information, evaluation of alternatives, purchase, and postpurchase evaluation. However, consumer decision making can be either a quick-and-easy or a lengthy and complicated process, depending on the consumer's level of involvement with the process.
The Purchase Decision Process
Need recognition: Recognizing an external problem or internal need
Information search: Obtaining product information from the company and other sources
Evaluation of alternatives: Determining which product provides the desired benefits
Purchase: Completing the transaction by exchanging money for the product
Postpurchase evaluation: Deciding if the product provided the desired benefits
The term need recognition refers to the moment when consumers realize they have a problem that needs to be solved or a desire that needs to be met. This need recognition may result when consumers suddenly realize that a problem requires them to find a solution. The problem can be as mundane as the need to buy more cereal for breakfast or as important as the need to buy a larger house because of the impending birth of twins. Whatever the need, the realization of its existence requires the consumer to take some action to find a solution.
Need recognition can also result when consumers realize they have an...
