Souvenir purchase patterns of domestic tourists: case study of Takayama City, Japan

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to identify souvenir purchase patterns of domestic Japanese tourists, focusing on HidaTakayama (Japan), a famous destination. The study site covers about 139.57 hectares with a population of 66,377. According to its tourist information center, in 1999, the city attracted 2,967,000 tourists. Nested among the mountains of Hida and in the past isolated during winter, Takayama has preserved much of its historic charm. It has been called a “little Kyoto” and is set deep within mountains of Gifu Prefecture. Its temples, shrines, festivals, rivers and bridges are indeed reminiscent of Kyoto on a smaller scale, but in some ways Takayama has delights that even Kyoto cannot match. The survey findings, revealing souvenir shopping patterns of tourists visiting Takayama City, suggest that their purchases are influenced by many factors, including prices, weight, size, number, length of shopping time, forms of travel, family income level, and reasons for purchasing. Further analyses suggest what types of souvenirs are favored by tourists and why. These findings potentially assist in improving souvenir production, methods of display at stores, tourist satisfaction, and income earnings of producers and store operators, a process which would contribute to the socioeconomic well-being and prosperity of the host community. Since purchasing souvenirs is also an indispensable tourism experience for both Japanese and foreign tourists, the study contributes to this research theme, with applications for destinations in Japan and elsewhere. Keywords: souvenirs, Takayama City, Japan.