A Psychographic Segmentation of Kuwaiti Travelers Using Self-Organizing Maps

Abstract

This study identifies distinct psychographic market segments of young Kuwaitis intending to travel to Western countries by applying the self-organizing maps (SOMs) technique. Young Kuwaitis represent a high-yield growing outbound tourism market. A self-completed questionnaire was randomly administered to 800 young Kuwaiti nationals. The effect of travel motivations, preferences for Muslim-friendly lifestyle and amenities, cognitive and affective destination image, and service quality on Kuwaitis' travel decisions were examined. Travel satisfaction was also investigated. The resulting visual maps identified four segments. The study contributes to theory and knowledge by presenting a different approach to tourist market segmentation.