Qualitative research: an application to tourism

This chapter shows the importance of the interpretive paradigm for tourism research by arguing that tourism professionals need to acquire insights into tourist behaviour from the perspective(s) of the tourists themselves if they are to more fully understand their behaviour and needs for the development of tourist products. It helps to understand the differences between quantitative and qualitative research design. The chapter also helps to understand the interpretive perspective of tourism research. It shows how to collect and analyse data by using a specific methodology. It develops tourism student knowledge and application of the key ideas by exploring further indicative sources. Qualitative research methodologies engage the interpretive paradigm and endeavour to articulate the tourist experience from the tourist's perspective. The interpretive paradigm is becoming more and more important in tourism research in particular when studying tourism behaviour.