ABSTRACT
The present research aims to gain a better understanding of determinants on
the souvenir-purchase behavior of inbound tourists, a vital factor affecting
tourists’ experience in destinations, yet scant attention has been devoted to
this in the literature. Drawing on the Oh’s travel expenditure model (2007),
this study examines the influence of three types of variables: individual
traveler characteristics; trip characteristics; and the perceived value of the
souvenirs on tourists’ spending on shopping. The results obtained, through
an analysis of self-administered questionnaires gathered from a sample of
115 inbound tourists in Tehran city, showed that men tent to spend more on
souvenir purchase than women; there is not a significant relationship in terms
of shopping spending patterns between leisure tourists and business tourists;
and design, traditional motifs, quality and portability of souvenirs affect
purchase behavior considerably. Further analysis and other findings are also
discussed, and recommendations for future research are put forth in this
paper.