Why travel motivations and socio-demographics matter in managing a National Park

Koedoe - African Protected Area Conservation and Science

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Why travel motivations and socio-demographics matter in managing a National Park
 
Creator Saayman, Melville Saayman, Andrea
 
Subject Tourism Marketing conservation and tourism; sociodemographics; travel motivation; travel behaviour; Addo Elephant National Park
Description The Addo Elephant National Park is one of only a few national parks in the world that offers the Big 7 experience and is therefore one of South Africa’s prime tourism destinations. The park plays an important role in the regional economy and has become a hub for tourism development. The aim of this article is to determine the extent to which socio-demographic and behavioural and motivational indicators influence the spending of tourists to the park. A better understanding of the latter could help marketers and planners to increase the economic impact of the park. Since 2001, surveys have been conducted among tourists to the park and have included a number of socio-demographic, behavioural and motivational questions. In this analysis, 537 questionnaires were used. The methodology used includes factor analysis, cross-sectional regression analysis and pseudo-panel data analysis to determine and compare possible influences on spending. The research identifies six motives for tourists travelling to the Addo Elephant National Park; these are nature, activities, family and socialisation, escape, attractions and photography. The research found that a combination of socio-demographic and motivational factors influences visitor spending decisions. Added to this, the research confi rms that tourist attractions, including national parks, differ from one another and that the variables that influence spending therefore also differ.
 
Publisher AOSIS Publishing
 
Contributor
Date 2009-06-25
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — Method included: a Factor analysis, cross-sectoral regression analysis and a pseudo-panel data analysis was applied
Format application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/koedoe.v51i1.381
 
Source Koedoe; Vol 51, No 1 (2009); 9 pages 2071-0771 0075-6458
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://koedoe.co.za/index.php/koedoe/article/view/381/1012
 
Coverage South-Africa 2008 537 questionnaires were distributed to overnight visitors
Rights Copyright (c) 2009 Melville Saayman, Andrea Saayman https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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