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484 quest
strate that the two samples were truly representative.
Thus, if the weather was very bad on every
night when live entertainment was presented, the
public may have stayed away because of the
weather and thus the results of the statistical
analysis would not reflect reality.
Statistical analysis must of course be used with
care. For example, the question may be as simple as
whether a hundred-year-old man has a greater
chance of living one more year than a five-year-old
boy. The former has a century-long track record of
living one more year, so statistically, the odds of
him surviving are very high. The five-year-old, on
the other hand, has a shorter track record, so his
survival rate will not be predicted to be as high. But
in fact, the boy has a better chance of survival. This
can be determined by comparing samples of fiveyear-olds
and hundred-year-olds and noting their
survival rates. Therefore, although the proper
method of analysis is self-evident in this heuristic
example, researchers must take care to insure that
similar but less obvious flaws do not creep into
their work.
Researchers �or those commissioning research)
are urged to spend adequate time and effort
deciding exactly what they want to know and
why they need it. Although much quantitative
research can be routinised and performed at a
reasonable price, developing questionnaires and
determining what sample populations are to be
tested is crucial. Researchers and clients who have
not adequately considered these issues will spend
more money on research, and typically they will
receive less useful results.
Quantitative methods are a staple of business
investigation, including tourism. But as the latter
becomes more intertwined with modern business
and its methods and practice, tourism researchers
will need to master quantitative concepts and skills.
While quantitative research provides powerful
tools, investigators should keep in mind that it
represents but one option of analysis and that none
of is techniques are foolproof.
See also: qualitative research
ALF H. WALLE, USA
quest
A quest is the act of seeking or searching for
something often associated with a sense of
adventure and the unknown. The great explorers
of the past set out to identify and map new trade
routes, travel to sacred religious sites for spiritual
enlightenment, unearth ancient relics and mysteries,
acquire new colonies and collect information.
By analogy, modern-day tourists are
searching for something which they cannot find
in their home environment. Identifying the tourist
as a modern-day pilgrim on a quest, MacCannell
�1989) suggests that the motivation for tourism is
the search for authenticity in other times and
other places which are significantly different from
everyday life. While the religious pilgrim travels
to pay homage at a particular sacred site �see site,
sacred), the modern-day tourist visits a large
number of sights as specific attractions.
At the heart of the quest lie the souvenirs and
symbols collected to verify the experience and, in
some cases, prove the quest was a success to others.
The more exotic the location or uncommon the
memento, the greater the prestige which is
awarded the trip. Beyond the collection of physical
artefacts, a quest can be a voyage of exploration
and self-discovery. Cohen �1979) stresses the
need to understand the `spiritual centre' of different
tourist types �see typology, tourist). Some
identify more strongly with their home culture.
However, others feel alienated and have the desire
to seek out and understand alternative societies in
order to locate and submerge their elective spiritual
centre within a new cultural environment.
In another context, Almagor �1985) examines
the concept of `vision quest' with respect to the
touristic experience of nature. Here, `quest'
relates to the practice of setting off into the
wilderness in search of visions through fasting
and solitude in order to communicate with `the
beyond'. Animals seen in the visions become the
dreamer's guardian spirits. Those who take part in
wilderness outings and encounter wildlife are
equated with the indigenous populations of
North America who engage in the `vision quest'.
The touristic adoption of an animal encountered in
the wilderness to later symbolise or represent their
existential quest with nature may possibly be