The Holiday Experience and Personal Values: an Irish Case Study

Personal values have been a focus of interest for consumer behaviour researchers for many years due to the belief that values influence a person’s lifestyle, and therefore provide a useful explanation for the multitude of interests, outlooks on life and consumption priorities that define a person’s consumer behaviour (Muller, 1991). Tourist satisfaction is a positive function of both functional congruity between the expectations of the individual and choice of destination, and their perception about themselves. Linking destination image with the self can help in understanding this behaviour by focusing on the specific attributes of the holiday and how they match the values of the holiday taker (Seehyung & Yooshik, 2003). If self-image is based on perception, are products and services consumed because their associated attributes enhances the consumers self-image? (Todd, 2001). The conclusion of this paper is that personal values do not alter a person’s holiday behaviour, but rather transcend the holiday experience. Personal values have been a focus of interest for consumer behaviour researchers for many years due to the belief that values influence a person’s lifestyle, and therefore provide a useful explanation for the multitude of interests, outlooks on life and consumption priorities that define a person’s consumer behaviour (Muller, 1991). Tourist satisfaction is a positive function of both functional congruity between the expectations of the individual and choice of destination, and their perception about themselves. Linking destination image with the self can help in understanding this behaviour by focusing on the specific attributes of the holiday and how they match the values of the holiday taker (Seehyung & Yooshik, 2003). If self-image is based on perception, are products and services consumed because their associated attributes enhances the consumers self-image? (Todd, 2001). The conclusion of this paper is that personal values do not alter a person’s holiday behaviour, but rather transcend the holiday experience.