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Soft amenity attribute preferences of resort vacationers

Department of Health, Leisure and Exercise Science at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC

Peter J. Verhoven

Christopher Newport University in Newport News, VA

The purpose of this investigation was to identify the key 'soft amenity' attributes resort vacationers perceived as benificial to meeting their vacation goals. A second purpose was to examine whether vacation soft amenity attribute preferences differed significantly across segments comprised of resort vacationers homogeneously grouped on the basis of gender, age, employment, place of residence and vacation goal. An open-ended questionnaire format generated over 4,300 soft amenity attributes which were subsequently grouped into eight categories. The most frequently cited attributes coincide with the results of most previous research on vacation behaviour. Chi-square analyses were performed to determine the influence that the independent variables had on resort vacationers' soft amenity attribute preferences. Region of vacationer residence exerted more influence over the preference of attributes than any other variable tested. Eleven of the 25 most frequently cited soft amenity attributes were significantly influenced by the region of residence. Age exerted the next strongest influence on attribute preference. Seven of the 25 most frequently cited attributes were significantly influenced by this variable. Preferences for golf, fishing, reading, walking and shopping were significantly influenced by gender. Resort vacationers who described themselves as 'doers' preferred sight-seeing significantly more than those with other principal vacation goals while relaxing and sunbathing were significantly preferred by 'relaxers'. A resort vacationer's employment status was found to have virtually no significant bearing on soft amenity attribute preference. The results suggest that interval resort owners believe that a wide array of soft amenity attributes are important to their vacation enjoyment. Merely offering them opportunities to use a variety of recreation facilities is inadequate to assuring owner vacation satisfaction. These results can also assist resort marketers in more effectively and efficiently matching prospective purchasers with the attribute preferences they are seeking to enhance vacation enjoyment.

Key Words: interval resort • market segmentation • soft amenities • vacation enjoyment

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