Background – The travel industry has shown resilience after the recent recession, and Portugal has become a hot destination worldwide. Moreover, luxury travel is outstripping the rest of the travel industry, given consumers’ increasing desire for unique experiences. Consequently, there is a growing number of travel players focusing on niche markets. Objectives – The goal of this dissertation is to advise and assess TravelTailors’ decision to target Americans and further perceive if collaborations with American Agencies are beneficial and, if these can increase the number of US travelers served by the agency. Methodology – Based on the literature, the author applies frameworks, conducts market research and executes two selection criteria. Besides, an interview and questionnaire are performed with prospective partners. Findings – There is a strong correlation between income and outbound travel. A higher disposable income and declining unemployment will boost outbound travel in the US and help TravelTailors’ goals. The surge of new players serving appealing-niches and the independent online-booking will threat existing agencies. Moreover, Boomers are the wealthiest generation in the US and the main consumers for high-end travel. Additionally, collaborations amongst agencies are considered beneficial and seem to help increase the number of inbound travelers served. Implications – Academically, the research and frameworks used on the US market and Travel Industry can be generally applicable to every business looking to internationalize. Nevertheless, research and selection criteria over collaborations are solely held to advise TravelTailors, being only supportive to similar cases.
Date of Award | 14 Jul 2017 |
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Original language | English |
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Awarding Institution | - Universidade Católica Portuguesa
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Supervisor | Rute Xavier (Supervisor) |
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- Internationalization
- Market selection
- Travel industry
- Travel agency
- Tailormade
- Outbound travel
- Collaborations
- Mestrado em Gestão e Administração de Empresas
Assessing an internationalization decision and the role of collaborations : the case of TravelTailors : a Portuguese Travel Agency
Matos, A. P. F. D. (Student). 14 Jul 2017
Student thesis: Master's Thesis