Tourist decision-making through the lens of consumer neurosciencecognitive, emotional, and personality drivers

Abstract

Tourism is a key driver of economic growth worldwide, and destination management organizations (DMOs) play a fundamental role in managing and promoting destinations. In an increasingly digital landscape, it is critical for DMOs to craft compelling promotional content that captures the cognitive and affective responses of potential travelers. Among the various forms of marketing stimuli, dynamic content such as videos has proven particularly effective in engaging tourists. The strategic analysis of these promotional materials is essential to understand how they influence consumer behaviour, particularly in shaping travel intentions and decision-making. However, a deeper exploration is needed to comprehend how both conscious and nonconscious cognitive and affective processes interact in this context, as well as the role of personality traits in these dynamics. This doctoral dissertation aims to advance the understanding of the conscious and nonconscious cognitive (cognitive load, attention, memory processes, and recall) and affective (arousal and specific emotions) processes that occur when consumers are exposed to tourism marketing stimuli. A key focus is on how these processes influence the development of travel intentions and decision-making, and how personality traits further modulate these responses. By exploring the interplay between cognitive and emotional processing, this research seeks to offer new insights into how DMOs can more effectively craft promotional campaigns that resonate with their target audiences. To achieve these objectives, the dissertation employs an innovative methodological protocol combining neurophysiological techniques—such as electroencephalography (EEG), galvanic skin response (GSR), and eye-tracking—with traditional market research methods. This mixedmethods approach enables the measurement of both conscious and nonconscious cognitive and affective processes, as well as consumer personality, providing a rich dataset of both qualitative and quantitative insights that allows for a comprehensive examination of consumer reactions to marketing stimuli. The results of the study reveal important implications for DMOs in designing their marketing strategies. Specifically, the positioning of emotional content within videos has a profound impact on both cognitive and affective processes, both at conscious and nonconscious levels. Furthermore, the study highlights the significant influence of personality traits on how individuals process and respond to marketing stimuli. This suggests that DMOs should adopt a more personalized approach when developing promotional content, tailoring their campaigns to reflect the diverse ways in which individuals with different personality profiles engage with and process information. Moreover, understanding how these communication strategies shape tourists’ conscious emotions and recall of destinations is essential to ensuring that the intended brand image of the destination aligns with the one evoked in potential travelers. In conclusion, this research provides valuable insights into the complex mechanisms underlying consumer responses to tourism marketing. The findings have significant implications for DMOs, providing them with actionable strategies to optimize their promotional content and effectively trigger travel intentions and decision-making in an increasingly competitive market.