A Study of Korean Immigrants in Australia
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Acculturation, travel, lifestyle, and tourist behavior: a study of Korean immigrants in Australia Author Lee, Sun-Hee, Cox, Carmen Published 2007 Journal Title Tourism, Culture & Communication Version Version of Record (VoR) Copyright Statement © 2007 Cognizant Communication Corporation. The attached file is reproduced here in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. Please refer to the journal's website for access to the definitive, published version. Downloaded from http://hdl.handle.net/10072/18966 Griffith Research Online https://research-repository.griffith.edu.au Tourism, Culture & Communication, Vol. 7, pp. 183–196 1098-304X/07 $60.00 + .00 Printed in the USA. All rights reserved. Copyright 2007 Cognizant Comm. Corp. www.cognizantcommunication.com ACCULTURATION, TRAVEL, LIFESTYLE, AND TOURIST BEHAVIOR: A STUDY OF KOREAN IMMIGRANTS IN AUSTRALIA SUN HEE LEE* and CARMEN COX† *Griffith University, Queensland, Australia †Southern Cross University, NSW, Australia While tourism research has already considered the specific travel behaviors and preferences of people from different cultures (e.g., Hispanics, Chinese, etc.), there has not been as much emphasis placed on understanding how the travel behaviors of people may change when they migrate to another country. Despite the growth of migrant populations in many countries throughout the world, studies have tended to look at the behavior of travelers from a particular country (e.g., all Australians) without considering how acculturation experienced by migrants (e.g., Koreans who immigrate to Australia) may alter their travel behaviors. This study focuses on the travel behavior and lifestyles of Korean immigrants in Australia and examines the influence of acculturation on their travel lifestyle. A survey of Korean immigrants in Australia was conducted to explore the relationship between the degree of acculturation experienced by respondents and their travel life- style preferences, specifically related to their attitudes and opinions towards travel as well as their travel interests. Cluster analysis identified four distinct groups of Korean immigrants, based on their travel lifestyles, referred to as “Korean socializers & sports seekers,” “relaxation seekers,” “cultural & entertainment seekers,” and “FIT travel enthusiasts.” Results suggest that respondents who were more acculturated significantly differed in their travel lifestyle from those who were less acculturated. The study conclusions suggest ways that tourism marketers can better understand ethnic minorities and develop suitable products and services to meet the needs of these markets. Key words: Acculturation; Travel behavior; Travel lifestyle; Korean immigrants; Australia Introduction son, 1997; Johns & Gyimo´thy, 2002; Kozak, 2002; March, 1997; Murphy, 2003; Mykletun, Crotts, & Culture has become the focus of attention over Mykletun, 2001; Pizam & Jeong, 1996; Pizam et the geographical boundaries and disciplines in the al., 2004; Pizam & Sussmann, 1995; Reisinger & 21st century due to a great number of floating Turner, 1998, 1999; 2002a, 2002b, 2003) have populations resulting from travel, business, or im- sought out the cultural differences with respect to migration as well as frequent economic, political, travel behaviors, preferences, motivations, or per- and cultural exchanges among countries. A num- ceptions. The majority of former studies, however, ber of studies (Barker, Page, & Meyer, 2003; Iver- have used the tourist’s nationality as the basis to Address correspondence to Dr. Carmen Cox, Southern Cross University, Cnr Brett and Wharf Streets, Tweed Heads, NSW 2485, Australia. Tel: 61-7-5506-9321; Fax: 61-7-5506-9301; E-mail: [email protected] d by 183le. 184 LEE AND COX compare the cultural differences among countries. such markets continue to grow in Australia (and Other studies have used ethnicity to identify the in other countries also), they may provide the local cultural differences within multicultural countries tourism industries with new opportunities to sat- (Irwin, Gartner, & Phelps, 1990; Klemm, 2002; isfy their travel needs and enable them to experi- Manrai & Manrai, 1995; Tierney, Dahl, & Chavez, ence a high quality of life through travel opportu- 2001). Nowadays, multiculturalism is a common nities. phenomenon in many countries, including Austra- Many cross-cultural studies have confirmed lia, Canada, and the US, which have been built that there is a relationship between culture and from large immigrant populations. Hence, issues travel within, and across, countries (Iverson, 1997; relating to culture have become a particularly pop- Kozak, 2002, Lee, Lee, & Wicks, 2004; March, ular area of research in various fields. The issue 1997; Pizam & Jeong, 1996). From the results of of migration poses significant opportunities and previous research, it is deduced that travel lifestyle challenges for the tourism industry. For example, (i.e., the way that people tend to travel as dis- it often leads to a greater level of tourism demand cussed in the next section) can be different among due to people visiting family members who have immigrants depending on the extent to which they migrated (or alternatively migrants visiting rela- have experienced acculturation (Stodolska, 1998). tives who they have left behind). Lehto, Morrison, Although it may be less distinguishable than the and O’Leary (2001) found that international visi- comparison between ethnic groups, understanding tors traveling to see friends and relatives in the US how acculturation affects peoples’ travel behav- often made substantial use of commercial accom- iors and lifestyle can only help marketers to better modation and had significant expenditures on food anticipate future market needs in a multicultural and beverages, transportation, gifts and souvenirs, society. The objective of this study, therefore, is and entertainment. to explore the effect of acculturation on the travel Acculturation is defined as “those phenomena lifestyles of Korean immigrants in Australia. which result when groups of individuals having different cultures come into continuous first-hand Travel Lifestyle Segmentation contact, with subsequent changes in the original cultural patterns of either or both groups” (Red- Over the last few decades more heterogeneous, field, Linton, & Herskovitz, 1936, cited in Salant individualistic, and culturally diverse consumers’ & Lauderdale, 2003, p. 72). One issue that can needs and expectations have added to the impor- arise from the effects of acculturation is that mi- tance of market segmentation (Middleton & Clarke, grants who move to a country may have different 2001). While demographic characteristics have travel preferences and behaviors to the majority of been commonly used to segment markets and have residents in that country. As such, their travel been found to have some predictive use in antici- needs and wants may not be the same as the gen- pating the travel behavior of different market seg- eral resident population and, as such, they may ments, it may no longer be an effective market pose a niche market opportunity for tourism opera- segmentation tool by itself as consumers are be- tors in the region. The immigrant population is coming more diversified. In the 1990s, Prentice, continuously growing in many countries, includ- Witt, and Hamer (1998) found that demographic ing Australia. According to the annual report of variables were largely irrelevant in understanding the Department of Immigration and Multicultural the Rhondda Heritage Park visitors’ experiences. and Indigenous Affairs (2005a), the estimated Milman (1991) also found no correlation between Australian resident population who were born in demographics and theme park visitation patterns, the Republic of South Korea was 42,679 as of and Andereck and Caldwell (1994) also reiterated June 30, 2002. While this is a relatively small pop- that there was little difference between demographic ulation, it continues to increase with an additional segments of the zoological park market. Hence, 5,000 or more permanent arrivals from Korea re- more researchers and marketers have turned to corded to 2004 (Department of Immigration and various other segmentation variables such as per- Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs, 2005b). As sonality, motivations, attitudes, values, and life- KOREAN IMMIGRANTS IN AUSTRALIA 185 style in association with demographic characteris- have applied travel lifestyle to segment markets tics. based on ethnic groups and acculturation levels. Weinstein (1994) noted the advantages of using psychographic segmentation for target market Acculturation identification beyond demographics. He argued that information can be used in planning success- The marketing literature notes that culture ful marketing strategies, and in minimizing risk plays an important role in consumer behavior through incorporating psychographics into product through its impact on consumers’ values and life- developing and testing. Lifestyle is defined as “the style (Henry, 1976; Kamo & Zhou, 1994; Mc- system of behaviour patterns of an individual or a Cracken, 1988). Cultural values are central to any group of people which results from the (some- ethnic group, and culture is the configuration of times involuntary) hierarchy of values recognized learned behavior, results of behavior, and the dis- by the individual or the group of people” (Przeclaw- tinctive lifestyle of a society (McCullough, Tan, ski, 1988, p. 36), or “a system of individual differ- & Wong,