The tourist within: A phenomenological inquiry of hotel employees’ vacation decision-making process

Abstract

This study aims to explain the decision-making process of hotel employees when purchasing a hotel vacation, focusing on the effect of occupational identity on tourist behaviour. Hotel employees represent a remarkably underexplored consumer group whose vacation purchasing behaviours warrant attention. Since they have extensive knowledge, experience, and professional networks within the tourism sector, being a hotel employee was anticipated to influence the vacation decision-making processes for the first time in this study. The hermeneutic phenomenological approach was utilised, and qualitative research data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Participants were selected through purposeful sampling, and 19 hotel employees with prior experience in hotel vacations were interviewed. Data were analysed through deductive thematic analysis, and findings were evaluated within the five-phase decision-making framework of the Engel-Kollat-Blackwell (EKB) Model. The results revealed that hotel employees' need for vacations largely stems from work-related fatigue. During the information search phase, they rely on professional networks to identify suitable hotels. In evaluating alternatives, they focus on cleanliness and affordability, often seeking recommendations from colleagues to minimise decision-making efforts. They also prefer direct hotel bookings, which build trust and allow personalised offers. The level of satisfaction with the vacation hotel significantly affects their post-purchase behaviour.