Influences of unconscious motivations on travel image selection among women

The purpose of this study was to examine how the need for achievement and the need for affiliation influence women's choice of travel images and travelrelated decision making. An invitation was distributed to female university employees requesting their participation in an online questionnaire. Two hundred and seventy five responses were obtained. The questionnaire consisted of the need for affiliation scale, the need for achievement scale, four travel websites, and demographic and travel-related questions. The results of the study revealed observable relationships among the need for affiliation and travel group size, as well as activity choice and images depicting active engagement and the need for achievement. Observable relationships were noted among age, women as travel decision makers, and the activities pursued during travel. Additionally, a significant trend was evidenced regarding women's roles as decision makers, a trend that should be of particular interest to marketers. The trend towards the use of travel-related websites and social networking via electronic means demonstrates the critical need for further research examining the role of images in travel purchase behaviors.