Customer Relationship Marketing on the Tourist Services Market а Motivational Analysis

Abstract

The article highlights theoretical, methodological and practical aspects of customer relationship marketing on the tourism services market, based on an in-depth motivational analysis of consumer behavior. The relevance of the study arises from the need to identify new managerial solutions for domestic tourist businesses amidst macroeconomic instability, military conflict, inflation, and declining consumer purchasing power. The essence and internal structure of consumer motives are analyzed, with biological and social needs serving as their foundation, and desires, aspirations, and inclinations representing the forms of their manifestation. The evolution of the classical EKB (Engel–Kollat–Blackwell) model of consumer behavior analysis into the contemporary CDP (Consumer Decision Process) model is examined. Key subjective and external factors influencing consumers’ decisions to purchase a tourist product are identified. Particular attention is paid to B. Schmitt’s concept of “customer experience management”. The strategic stages of its implementation in the tourism business practice are substantiated, encompassing the levels of sensations, feelings, thoughts, actions and relationships. A comprehensive framework for effective customer relationship in the tourist sector is proposed. This framework is based on the optimization of customer databases, the implementation of CRM systems, and the monitoring of customer retention and churn rates. Economic indicators for assessing the effectiveness of customer relationship marketing in the tourism sector are systematized. The study demonstrates that, in times of crises and conflicts, tourists tend to act according to a logic similar to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: they first evaluate the possibility of satisfying basic needs, particularly safety and security, and only then assess comfort, service quality and infrastructure standards. Considering Maslow’s system of basic needs, particularly the need for safety, it is proposed to expand the set of factors influencing consumer decision-making on the tourism market by adding four additional determinants: the absence of armed conflicts, a low crime rate, political stability, and the effectiveness of healthcare system. These factors are crucial for consumers of tourism services, as the existence of an ongoing conflict or a dysfunctional healthcare system may lead potential tourists to abandon travel plans altogether. A predictive model of the key criteria for selecting tourist products under conditions of global turbulence has been developed.