Does the importance of hotel attributes differ for senior tourists? : A comparison of three markets

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to identify the importance of hotel attributes for pre-senior and senior tourists when selecting a hotel. Design/methodology/approach – Three market segments (German, Dutch and British) were selected as the sample of the research. The Callan and Bowman’s (2000) scale was employed and data obtained from 13 five star hotels in Antalya, Turkey. Findings – Results of the study showed that “value for money” and “availability of organized entertainment in the hotel” were important attributes for senior British tourists when compared to other participants. Dutch senior tourists attached more importance to food service attributes (“small food portions” and “special dietary menus”) than did the other respondents. Practical implications – Research results confirmed the importance of staff attributes (“politeness of staff” and “friendliness of staff”) for customer satisfaction. This finding highlights the need for training programmes targeting hospitality employees, with a specific focus on meeting customers’ demands for receiving friendly and polite service. Originality/value – The present study intends to contribute to the literature on senior tourist market by identifying the importance of hotel attributes for three market segments (Germany, England and The Netherlands).