How income influences the choice of tourism destination?

Abstract

This paper tries to contribute to the literature that covers the issues of the decision-making process when choosing a tourism destination by conducting a survey among the inhabitants of the Bačka region (province of Vojvodina in the Republic of Serbia). Following the information-processing theory, the decision-making process is defined with the five phases: need awareness, information search, estimation of alternatives, purchase, and purchase evaluation. 252 respondents took part in the research. Multivariate analysis (MANOVA) and discriminative analysis were used in the statistical procedure of data analysis. The results show that the level of income does not affect the first phase of need awareness, but strongly affects all the other phases of the decision-making process. The researchers also managed to address the most sensitive and vulnerable indicators of the decision-making process. Finally, comprehensive management implications for practitioners are discussed.