Market segmentation approaches: do they benefit destination marketers?

Market segmentation aims to divide markets comprised of individuals into groups whose characteristics are relatively homogeneous within each set or segment and heterogeneous between segments, based on an identified set of variables (Kara and Kaynak, 1997). Marketing academics and practitioners have adopted the concept of market segmentation enthusiastically. The benefits have been seen to include an ability to gain a fuller understanding of a particular market, improved techniques to predict consumer behaviour, and an improved ability to identify and exploit new market opportunities for commercial benefit (Heok, Gendall and Esslemont, 1996). A capacity to divide markets into distinct groups of buyers, or prospective buyers, who respond differently to changes in marketing mix variables is likely to prove particularly beneficial to those attempting to influence consumer demand for a particular product or service.