Motivation-based market segmentation in theme parks: A study on Vialand Shopping Center visitors

The aim of this research is to reveal the motivation-based profiles of adult consumers receiving service in large-scale theme parks in shopping malls. The study was designed according to the quantitative research methodology and is a descriptive research. In the research, a total of 587 adult consumers who visited the theme park were reached by using the convenience sampling technique. Face-to-face survey technique was used in the collection of data. Explanatory factor analysis, cluster analysis, one-way analysis of variance, Chi-Square analysis, discriminant analysis and descriptive statistics were used in the analysis of the data. According to the results of the explanatory factor analysis, push motivations consist of four dimensions as "escape and entertainment, self-development, spending time with family, sharing experience"; pull motivations consist of two dimensions as "having a comfortable and enjoyable experience, shopping". Considering the characteristics of the clusters obtained as a result of the cluster analysis, the clusters were named as "entertainment enthusiasts, experience fans, those who desire a calm and comfortable experience with their family". The main purpose of entertainment enthusiasts to visit the theme park is to have fun with their friends and to relax away from the stress of daily life. The most basic difference of this cluster from other clusters is that the level of spending time with family is very low. Entertainment enthusiasts have low motivation to discover their own talents with activities in the theme park and to share this experience. Experience fans are the cluster with the strongest motivations in terms of push and pull motivations. They are highly motivated to have fun and get away from the routine of daily life. They want to have a comfortable and enjoyable experience by getting away from the routine of daily life with their families as much as possible and share this experience with their viii social environment. They also attach great importance to discovering their physical talents in the theme park. They want to have a comfortable and enjoyable service experience by experiencing the physical environment elements and atmosphere in the theme park. They do not neglect to shop while they are at the theme park. Those who want a calm and comfortable experience with their family want to spend a pleasant time with their family, want to have fun and relax by getting away from the routine of daily life, and like to share this experience with their environment. However, they are not very prone to discovering their physical abilities or feeling more adrenaline while having fun. They have a desire to have a comfortable and enjoyable experience by experiencing the opportunities offered by the theme park. The results of one-way variance analysis show that there are significant differences between the clusters in terms of satisfaction and impulse buying tendencies. As a result of chi-square analysis, a relationship was found between the clusters in terms of gender, age, marital status, planned spending limits, estimated spending amounts and purchased child tickets. It is also seen that there is a relationship between the clusters in terms of the different stations they experience in the theme park. According to the discriminant analysis results, the main variables that separate the clusters from each other are; spending time with family, self-development and sharing the experience with the social environment. The discriminant analysis results show that it can be determined with a 95.6% accuracy rate which consumer cluster the theme park consumers whose motivations are defined will be in. In line with these results reached in the research, suggestions are presented for practitioners and future research.