Analysing the Relationship of Factors Affecting on Tourists' Buying Behaviour of Handicraft Products (With Special Reference to Galle District)

Abstract

Handicraft products are one of the important products which can market in tourism and hospitality industry and create unique expressions of skills, traditions, culture and local material used of the country. Handicrafts industry is a major form of employment in many countries and play significant part of the export economy. Buying behaviour of products depend on many factors and identification of affecting factors much more important for all the parties of the particular market. Therefore in the handicraft industry has great opportunity to obtain benefits through understanding factors and tourists' buying behaviour of handicraft products. The main purpose of this study was to analyse the relationship between affecting factors and tourists' buying behaviour of handicraft products in Galle District. Marketing mix factors, situational factors and personal factors considered as affecting factors of the buying behaviour of handicraft products. The target population for this study was all the Local and foreign tourists who visit handicraft shops in Galle District and from the data, a sample size of 100 was selected from 10 shops and selected 10 tourists from each shop using convenience sampling method. Primary data were gathered using questionnaire with five point likert scale. Descriptive statistics, Karl Pearson Coefficient of correlation analysis used to analyse the data collected. Results disclosed marketing mix factors, situational factors and personal factors have positive relationship with tourists' buying behaviour of handicraft products. The study recommends that there is need effective market segmentation and targeting based on consumers' personal factors. In addition handicraft shops should engage with the global market and trends to reach the potential market. Key words: Tourist, Handicraft, Buying behaviour, Marketing mix, Situational factors, Personal factors