Market Integration in Resource-Saving and Environment-Friendly Society - Using Chang-Zhu-Tan Urban Agglomeration as a Case Study

As tourism market integration is very important in tourism market field, methods for determining whether the tourism market has been subdivided reasonably and when we should carry out integration are of significance. In this paper, we propose a STFI (Segmentation-Targeting-Financial analysis-Integration) concept model for evaluating the extent of tourism market segmentation, and determining whether integration is necessary. The feasibility of STFI model was tested using Chang-Zhu-Tan urban agglomeration as a case study. The result suggests that the net profit of Zhuzhou City Market is negative of the three regional markets, so we should consider that it´s time to integrate Zhuzhou with Changsha Market to be Chang-Zhu Market, which can save marketing cost and produce high profit. Therefore, it can be concluded that STFI model is a promising method for measuring the rational tourism market segmentation. The result could be helpful for researchers and policy-makers in tourism market management, especially in the area developing Resource-saving and Environment-friendly Society.