Research Summary and conclusion

This study contributes to the given literature on the impact of tourists' behavior on purchasing decision on tourism products. In relation to the research of Fortis et al. (2012), this study attempts to provide a comprehensive picture of the influence of the internet usage on tourism products throughout the tourists' behaviour within three sections – PRE, DU, POS.

Moreover, by discovering about the tourists‟ habit in using the internet for travel search, it attempts to add to the conclusion mentioned by the study of Gretzel et al. (2008) that there are differences in term of social networking sites use the international market.

The final results and outcomes of this research indicate that the main determinants - tourists‟ behaviour in three processes; tourists‟ demographics; tourists‟ usage of the internet for travel search, of the study were found to be significant (p-values are mostly lower than 0.05) which mean that the dependent variables of this study is highly and positively influenced by all the independent variables in the case of foreign tourists in Vietnam. The analysis data did approve all of the hypotheses offered for this study.

The tourists' behavior determinants within three processes, which are based on a research named students‟ use of social media during the travel process (Rudez and Vodeb, 2015). It indicated that the three hypotheses - H1, H2, H3, are approval and highly reliable, tourists' behavior within three processes - PRE, DU, POS, positively influence on purchasing decision on tourism products. This outcome did answer one of the research questions of the study, which is “how does each factor of tourists‟ behaviour affect the purchasing decision on tourism products?”. Tourist‟s behaviour which is defined statement-by-statement in the questionnaire. As per pre-travel behaviour section, the two-statement which are strongly agreed by the respondents were “I search for idea about travel when beginning from the virtual community” and “I search for information about destinations from the virtual

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community”, which meant that the outcome is matched with the given literature review of the study – The linear five-stage model of tourist purchasing decision (Mathieson and Wall, 1982) and the study named students‟ use of social media during the travel process (Rudez and Vodeb, 2015). It did support the fact that most of the respondents usually behave step-by-step according to the model when planning their trip, which involved travel desire, information collection and evaluation image, and travel decision. In relation to the manner of searching for information, ideas, comments, or reviews from the internet, making comparison among destinations, services, or suppliers (Rudez and Vodeb, 2015). As per during travel behaviour section, the two-statement which are strongly agreed by the respondents were “I stay connect with friends and the others on the internet”, and “I share photos and videos about my trip on the virtual community”. Same as the outcome of pre-travel behaviour section, it is in relation to the linear five-stage model of tourist purchasing decision (Mathieson and Wall, 1982) and the study named students‟ use of social media during the travel process (Rudez and Vodeb, 2015), which refers to the step of travel preparation and travel experience, and the manner of exchanging information and keeping in touch with the virtual community, sharing photos or videos on the internet. As per post-travel behavior section, the statement which is significantly agreed by the respondents were “I share photos or videos about my trip on the virtual community”. Same as the result of the other two sections, it is also related to the linear five-stage model of tourist purchasing decision (Mathieson and Wall, 1982) and the study named students‟ use of social media during the travel process (Rudez and Vodeb, 2015), which involved the step of travel satisfaction outcome and evaluation, and the habit of sharing photos or videos on the internet, sharing opinions, feelings, or evaluation, and suggesting recommendation to friends, relatives, or virtual community members.

From the above research summary and outcome of tourists‟ behavior of the study, it is shown that most of the tourists have similarity in habit and manner when planning a trip. They are more likely to follow step-by-step when making any decision - pre-action, action, and

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post-action. This also meant that the tourism business person or tourism marketers should pay more attention to the virtual community, make better image of products and service of their company on the internet. Besides, do not forget to listen to the feedback or reviews from the tourists - either good or bad feedback, to make improvement for better quality of products and services. As it is mentioned in chapter 2 of the study, either running a business or having marketing strategy on the internet is the fastest and cheapest way to approach target customers, target market. The internet has both advantage and disadvantage, due to the rapid spread of the internet, whenever there is any bad feedback of a product or service, it needs to be solved immediately and needs to have a quick and friendly response, in order to avoid the rapid spread of bad news or bad impacts. The internet is revealed as one of the most important tools in making tourism business nowadays, this also meant that the Vietnamese government needs to continuously up-to-date the newest internet providers with the fast and stable connection.

Demographics determinant shows the respondents‟ characteristics - occupation, income, nationality, and travel experience, which have a significant difference in making a purchasing decision on tourism products that accepted the H4. The tourists‟ demographics play a significantly important role in making a purchasing decision. From this outcome, the tourism market can be known and defined into many types of the tourist segments according to their demographics, so as to help the tourism marketers or tourism planners define target tourists for their target market and plan on business strategies. This outcome did answer the research question of the study – “how does the tourists‟ characteristics/demographics affect purchasing decision on tourism products in Vietnam?”. Occupation and Income are considered to be one‟s living standard and social class. From one‟s social class, it is possible to guess their needs, demands or requirements of a product or service, in order to limit the existence of mistake or problem to the minimum number. Nationality reveals one‟s living environment, personality or culture, it is also defined one‟s habit or manner in doing things or reacting to things happened around them. Understanding one‟s personality, the tourism

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planners or businessman probably guess about their interests or hobbies, or even travel objectives. Getting one‟s culture, the tourism planners or businessman can guess on what the tourists want to do and what they try to avoid in their trip. Travel experience of a tourist shows the level of pleasure, for example, if a tourist has less travel experience, they might have a higher level of pleasure toward a product or service, and vice versa. From those things, the Vietnamese government should encourage to create more lecture of diversity culture in tourism colleges, in order to provide various and sustainable knowledge about culture to tourism students for better tourism development in Vietnam.

Tourist‟s habit in internet usage section, which proved that all of the respondents of the given study are qualified. It did reveal that the variable of "internet usage in making a travel plan" and variable of "information trusting level" have positive significance and can increase the impact of the tourists' behavior on purchasing decision on tourism products that approved the H5, also replied to the research question of “how does the tourists‟ usage of the internet affect their behaviour on purchasing decision on tourism products in Vietnam?”. The outcome revealed that the foreign tourists who had visited Vietnam always use the internet for travel search in the stage of during travel and post-travel, this also revealed the significant role of the internet in tourism business. Besides, most of the tourists said that they mostly or completely trust the information provided by friends and/or relatives from the internet.

According to the outcome, it can definitely be sure that the internet usage of the tourists has a huge impact on trip planning. A tourist can share or spread information of tourism products or services to other tourists on tourism platforms, and that information will be saved, kept, and shared among the virtual community members, either it is good or bad information of particularly products or services. Those are the reason why there is necessary to have efficient and flexible working style on the internet. As it is mentioned, the Vietnamese government needs to continuously up-to-date the newest internet providers with the fast and stable connection, in order to caught up the newest information for getting competitive advantages in

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tourism business. For a better tourism development, Vietnamese government should set up more travel information kiosks providing multinational language and multiple functions, in order to help tourists with fastest and the most efficient way.

Table 13: Hypothesis Results.

Hypothesis Accepted Rejected

H1 - Pre-travel behavior of the tourists positively influences on

purchasing decision on tourism products. √

H2 - During-travel behavior of the tourists positively influences on

purchasing decision on tourism products. √

H3 – Plan on post-travel behavior of the tourists positively influences

on purchasing decision on tourism products. √

H4 - The tourists‟ demographics have significant differences on

purchasing decision on tourism products. √

H5 - Factors of the usage of the internet are expected to increase (or decrease) the impact of the tourists‟ behavior on the purchasing decision on tourism products.

√

Source: Research Results.