"Understanding the Hospitality Consumer" presents a unique perspective on consumer behaviour in the hospitality sector. It seeks to focus on the role of consumption in hospitality and to investigate our understanding of its place in the contemporary industry. Taking the view that successful marketing demands focusing on the customer, this text concentrates on understanding and determining customer needs, relevant factors in consumer buying behaviour and the effectiveness of today's marketing techniques. Using industry based case studies and examples "Understanding the Hospitality Consumer": introduces and explores the role of consumer behaviour theory in the context of hospitality management; discusses the principles and research of consumer behaviour and illustrates how they are used in the hospitality industry today; examines the value of consumer behaviour research as applied to the contemporary hospitality industry; and, explores the challenges to traditional approaches to consumption posed by the postmodern hospitality consumer. The book's targeted focus and practical application ensures that it is well suited for both students and practising managers in the hospitality field. A unique perspective on the hospitality consumer, it discusses the development of marketing strategies which take account of postmodern trends of consumption and includes general industry-wide case studies, as well as specific studies of such companies as Airtours, Scottish & Newcastle, Disney and McDonalds.