Do male Bulgarian citizens travel further and more frequently abroad Essay

Do male Bulgarian citizens travel further and more frequently abroad then female citizens - Essay Example The present study would focus on tourism as an important economic activity in the contemporary society with various social, cultural, and environmental impacts on the visited regions. It is among the developing sectors of economic activities in the contemporary world. The countries in Europe have different characteristics that can be advantageous in respect to tourism. Most of the countries of the Central and Eastern Europe experienced communist rule up to the late 1980s and early 1990s when they transitioned into the Western models. Bulgaria is one of the countries in Southeast Europe. In 2010, Bulgaria was ranked position 27 in Europe and position 48 in the world in terms of Tourism Competitiveness Index (TCI). The country recognizes its beaches, countryside, nature parks, mountain resorts, and wines as some of the tourist attractions. It also has cheap transport systems that are favorable for tourism. Bulgaria is rapidly opening into the international scene since the fall of commu nist era in 1989 and with the emergence of socialist rule that promote a socially active tourism in the country. The Bulgarians have increasingly shown interest in the other attractive features that are not within their borders was well as experience for other cultures. International departures from Bulgaria have shown an increasing trend (rising by 16.8% in 2002) and about 25% could be attributed to tourism by 2002. (Bulgaria: Market Profile, 62). Tourism to a given region can be determined by the endowment of the region and the financial abilities of the different individuals as well as their tastes and preferences. Thus, the males may have the ability to make frequent visits to several destinations across the globe as compared to the females. The main question to be addressed in the research is â€Å"Do male Bulgarian citizens travel further and more frequently abroad then female citizens?† The investigation is expected to reveal that males travel more frequently and to fu rther regions than the females. As hypotheses to the study, it is initially assumed that the male Bulgarian citizens travel further abroad than the female citizens do and that they make frequent visits abroad than the female citizens. Method(s) of investigation The study was conducted in Bulgaria, a country in southeast Europe that borders other European countries like Romania, Croatia, Greece, Macedonia and Serbia as well as Turkey from West Asia as shown in Figure.1. Figure.1. Map of Bulgaria Source: http://www.infoplease.com/atlas/country/bulgaria.html The information that was appropriate in answering these particular questions was to be sought from the Native Bulgarians. Research was carried out at three distinct locations Sofia, Burgas, and Sunny Beach along the coastal Burgas-Varna road. The information on non-nationals of Bulgaria would not be appropriate and hence these were ignored whenever they were encountered. The information to be sought was whether the Bulgarians (bein g interviewed) had left the country at least at a certain point for a holiday trip. In the event that the individuals had been out of the country for holiday purposes, he or she would specify the country of destination and the frequency of such visits. Together with the sexes, these would suffice to determine whether males traveled to further regions and more frequently than females or not. Besides, only data collected from Sofia was used in determining the validity of the initial assumption. This is because as the capital city, it is likely that more city dwellers who are natives will be approached and interviewed. The groups developed a questionnaire that was be used for the interview. The participants had to provide details of their nationality and other demographic information like sex age group. The data collection materials were issued in English and Bulgarian, as these were

Consumer Frugality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Consumer Frugality - Essay Example According to a survey study conducted by Booz & Company on 2,000 consumers in the U.S., there is an emergence of frugal consumers. This is mainly because of the recent recession that has shaped their consumption behavior. It is expected that such consumption behavior will persist in the future even as there are reports that the U.S. is recovering from the recession (Zavestoski, 2002). Therefore, marketers have identified a market segment consisting of frugal consumers and are making efforts to attract such customers. The frugal consumer has unique characteristics including a strong consciousness on a value which determines the level of trade -off in price and convenience. Research studies on consumption patterns among U.S. consumers indicate that almost 67 percent of customers are purchasing low priced products in order to reduce spending while improving on saving (Craig-Lees & Hill, 2002). This is evident from the decrease in the Per capita consumption expenditure across almost all demographic groups. Additionally, customers have maintained a weak sentiment which has influenced their low expenditure on consumption. The target market segment of frugal consumers can be described using a number of demographic factors that define their unique features. The demographic factors include household income and age. First, the target market segment consisting of frugal consumers is made up of middle-income households. They have an annual income between $20,000 and $50,000 and are very mindful when it comes to spending their income. They are very selective and often plan in advance before going for shopping at discount stores rather than high-end stores. Second, the target market consists of individuals aged between 35 and 40 years. This is the age gap within which people have families, are in employment, and are working hard to save for their retirement. They are very keen with their spending habits and they always ensure that they are buying goods at low prices so that they can save a significant part of their income (Zavestoski, 2002). Third, the target market consists of home owners who have a high demand for household products to use in their homes. However, they are also very frugal and have a habit of shopping from discount stores. The multiple demographics of frugal consumers make it very difficult to market products. Discount retail shops including target, Costco, and Sam's Club have developed a number of marketing mixes in attracting frugal consumers. Let us recall that frugal consumers buy less and price conscious. Therefore it is evident that any marketing mix targeting frugal consumers should heavily rely on price. However, the other 3 P’s are equally important because they complement price. It is an obvious fact that consumers are becoming very frugal these days and that businesses need to differentiate their products in order to remain competitive (Craig-Lees & Hill, 2002). The frugal consumer is looking for products that will deliver the best value for their dollar. This implies that businesses need to provide the best value to its client in order to attract a significant number of frugal consumers. The most common marketing mix among companies targeting frugal customers is that there is always a price discount. This is mainly because such consumers a re very sensitive to changes in prices. A significant decrease in