The Non-Traveller Segment in Germany

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Jürgen Schmude
• Subject Area: Human Geography
• Term: from 2017 to 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 387992518

Since the mid-nineties, about one quarter of the German society are so-called non-travellers (Forschungsgemeinschaft Urlaub und Reisen e.V. 2016). However, the non-traveller segment is so far excluded from German tourism research and the choice whether or not to participate in travelling has not been integrated in tourism research. A lot of research exists dealing with travellers, travel decision-making and behaviours. Studies on the participation choice have been conducted mainly in English-speaking countries concentrating on constraints which deter someone from travelling. Building on an extensive literature analysis of past research and focusing on the identified gaps in past research, the aim of the proposed project is to explain non-travelling behaviour. Since travel decision-making and participation choices include aspects which are specific for each source market, approaching this topic on a national level is necessary. Besides the identification and better understanding of travel constraints (leading to non-travelling), this project particularly focuses on voluntary non-travelling which has so far not been investigated extensively. The proposed project is based on an already completed analysis of 17 explorative, qualitative interviews with non-travellers. First results of this analysis show that a variety of influencing factors lead to the decision not to participate in travelling. Furthermore, constraints as well as voluntary non-travelling are essential elements of the non-travelling decision. In the proposed project, a quantitative approach will be applied using a nationwide, representative telephone survey to closer examine non-travelling, explicitly including voluntary non-travelling as an underestimated aspect in this research area. Thereby, a new research framework for the investigation of non-travelling will be developed that considers external as well as internal determinants of decision-making. This methodological approach advances tourism progress by further developing and extending models from English-speaking and Asian countries, for example for aspects specifically related to the German source market. Furthermore, the discrepancy between travel wishes and actual behaviour will be integrated in the research model to understand why travel wishes are not implemented, particularly in the context of voluntary non-travelling. Moreover, different types of non-travellers will be identified based on determinants of non-travel decision-making rather than only sociodemographic variables. The proposed project will not only provide new scientific insights into non-travelling beyond the current state of research but will also show a socio-political significance considering the need for action on the part of the policy regarding abilities to participation in travel.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants