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The degree of congruency between roadside billboard advertisements and sought attributes of motels by US drive tourists

The University of Texas at Tyler, kshanahan{at}mail.uttyl.edu

Almost a quarter of all recreational trips over 60 miles (95km) are taken in private vehicles, but there is a scarcity of studies in the tourism literature covering the topic of drive tourism. This paper attempts to augment the paucity of literature on this important and burgeoning market. As a study of billboard advertising targeting drive tourists, this paper seeks to determine if there is an attempt to differentiate motels via attributes advertised on roadside billboard advertising, to identify the attributes sought by drive tourists and to compare them with the offerings communicated to them by roadside billboard advertising for motels. Content analysis and survey results suggest motels can improve on the mix of attributes they are advertising in attempts to attract drive tourists seeking lodging along the interstate highway system. The author offers suggestions to enrich advertising strategy for both independent and chain motels.

Key Words: drive vacationers • advertising strategy • billboards • motel attributes • segmentation • marketing

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