„ Ştefan cel Mare” University

Marketing research particularities in tourism
 
In order to elaborate a building strategy for a touristical offer adapted to market 
requirements is necessary to use quantified data about touristical demand. The most important 
indicator of demand is represented by touristical movement measurement.
The demand and consumption are difficult to be precisely quantified, because they are 
referring to population segments whose main characteristic is mobility. The seasonal character of 
tourism aggravates the precisely chase and the establishment of real quantitative dimensions and 
touristical consumption (Nedelea, 2003). 
Even Worldwide Organization of Tourism draws attention regarding the fact that a few 
states have complex statistical series regarding internal tourism (Cooper, 1996). This aspect is 

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due to inexistence of efficient methods for demand measurement, especially the internal 
touristical movement.
Difficulties of exactly quantification of number of tourists:
- a part of these individuals (especially in internal tourism case) are spending the nights at 
relatives’ place or people they hardly know; What is interesting is the fact that this phenomenon 
in the frame internal tourism is getting enlarged at European Union level, free circulation of 
persons allows the citizens from Union to have relatives and friends in other countries.
- different interpretations that one activity can have. Serving dinner at a restaurant can be 
situated in public alimentation activity from merchantry domain but also in tourism area. The 
economical development can lead serving dinner in a restaurant in public alimentation services 
area, but also in public relations or lobby domains (depending on what kind of main need is 
satisfied). Serving the dinner in a restaurant in the frame of public relations doesn’t satisfy the 
primary of alimentation, in comparison with the needs from superior levels of Maslow pyramid 
like socialization need, recognition need, esteem need. Another example in order to emphasize 
this aspect is the activity of visiting a museum, which can be a cultural – educational activity and 
in the same time a touristical one.
For a precise quantification of touristical demand on international level it was necessary 
an accurate definition for its individuals: visitors, tourists and excursionists. Therefore, research 
regarding international touristical market must take into consideration the definitions established 
by United Nations Conference for tourism and International Journeys (Roma, 1963) [Lanquar, 
1995]:
a) visitors: persons that are visiting a country (different from their domicile) with distinct 
aims, exception is made by the case of persons with paid activity in the visited country).
b) tourists: visitors that are staying less than 24 hours or a night in visited country and 
their trip reason is spending spare time (recreation, health, studies, religious reasons and sport) or 
business, familial aims, work interest, meetings.
c) excursionists: temporary visitors whom vacation doesn’t exceed 24 hours in visited 
country (in this category are also included those persons who are on a cruise).
The following scheme realized by Worldwide Organization of Tourism is synthesizing 
these aspects:  
Graphic 1: Types of touristical demand 
For quantifying the demand and touristical consumption there must be registered from 
statistical point of view the following data (Postelnicu, 1998): 
Visitor 
Excursionist 
(0 nights) 
Tourist
Short vacation 
(1-3 nights) 
Holiday 
(> 3 nights < 1 year)

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- volume of touristical movement, meaning the total number of internal and international 
tourists;
- nationality, respective residentship countries and destination countries; 
- information regarding age, gender distribution, professional preparation, employment, 
annual incomes level, family structures, season when departure takes place, medium length of the 
journey or vacation, traveled distance, the reasons of the travel, meaning of transport and the 
types of accommodation used; 
- total incomes from tourism achieved by different economical agents from same area; 
- total costs accomplished by tourists, eventually on spent touristical services;
- medium incomes per day/tourist;
- medium coefficient of occupying capacity of touristical accommodation;
- total number of nights spent (days/tourist) on different categories of tourists. 
Another important aspect is represented by the place where information selection about 
tourists is made. There are few methods possible:
a) at departure – which is impossible to realize; 
b) in different entries from tourists’ itinerary – here arise the problem of settling 
those entries; 
c) at borders – the most precise indicator, but being usable just in international 
tourism context; 
d) in vacation villages – the most used method in internal tourism.
In Romania, touristical movement is quantified through four categories of observed units 
(Cosmescu, 1998): borders, places providing accommodation, internal touristical agencies and 
external residents on national territory, family budgets (investigation regarding touristical actions 
where are taking part family members). At international level there are used other statistical data 
for quantifying touristical movement, using as sources: aerial, maritime or fluvial transport 
companies, surveys, evidence of exchange points, banking entries.