Profiling the segments of visitors to Portuguese protected areas

Abstract

This study identifies the diversity of domestic visitors to Portuguese protected areas (PPA) based on benefit segmentation. The segments of PPA visitors are also compared with other nature-based tourist segments using some empirical benefit segmentation literature. Data were collected by means of a self-administered questionnaire and multivariate statistics techniques (principal components, hierarchical and K-means cluster analyses) were applied. Five distinct segments of visitors were identified based on the motivation for their visit and further characterized by the perceived importance of activities, facilities and services, frequency of visit and socio-demographics. Three segments are nature-focused and two are focused on activities or events. Only one segment shows specific interests and motivations associated with ecotourism and similar characteristics to international ecotourists; moreover, the reasons for the visit in one segment are unrelated to any of the motivations of nature-based tourism. Some implications for management are also described.

Keywords:

• tourism in protected areas
• nature-based tourism
• ecotourism
• benefit segmentation
• visitor segment profiles

Notes

^a Bartlett's test of sphericity is statistically significant at the 0.01 level; KMO value of 0.790.

^a Rotation method: Varimax with Kaiser normalization; 65.0% of variance explained; Bartlett's test of sphericity is statistically significant at the 0.01 level; KMO value of 0.892.

^a Rotation method: Varimax with Kaiser normalization; 68.8% of variance explained; Bartlett's test of sphericity is statistically significant at the 0.01 level; KMO value of 0.863.

^a Segment names: (1) Self-centered visitors; (2) Occasional visitors; (3) Urban visitors; (4) Excursionists; (5) Sociable naturalists.

^b Chi-square statistic of Kruskal–Wallis test.

^c Categories aggregation was needed to verify the chi-square test assumption of no more than 20% of expected count less than 5.

1. Often used synonymously with nature-based tourism, it is a term used more by analysts than practitioners since it describes the product or principal attraction of ecotourism, without reference to the management issues (Buckley, 2008).

2. The number of overnight stays in lodging facilities managed by the Governmental Agency for the Conservation of Nature and Biodiversity and the number of visitors who participated in guided tours and/or requested information in protected areas reception centers and headquarters account for more than 209,000 in 2007 (ICNB, 2009).

3. In Portuguese legislation, the four types of protected areas with national interest are national parks, natural parks, natural reserves and natural monuments, which correspond to IUCN categories II, V, IV and III, respectively.

4. In Europe, the terms nature or sustainable tourism are more commonly used than ecotourism (Blangy & Vautier, 2001).

5. ICNB is the acronym for “Instituto da Conservação da Natureza e da Biodiversidade”; until 2007 it was known as the ICN.

6. The NUTS (Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics) is a territory division system within the European Union with the purpose of generating regional statistics. NUTS provides three aggregation levels: NUTS I, NUTS II and NUTS III. The last divides the Portuguese mainland into 28 regions; only 11 of these were chosen in this study: Cávado, Ave, Great Oporto, Tâmega, Baixo Vouga, Baixo Mondego, Pinhal Litoral, Oeste, Great Lisbon, Setúbal Peninsula and Algarve.

7. It appeals to the underlying assumption of representativeness in quota sampling: if the sample comprises those who are representative of the target population on certain characteristics by filling quotas, the sample may also match the target population on the quantities or opinions that are being measured (Davies, 2004; Vicente, Reis, & Ferrão, 2001).

8. On this bias, Cochran (1977) argues, “The quota method seems likely to produce samples that are biased on characteristics such as income, education, and occupation, although it often agrees well with the probability samples on questions of opinion and attitude”.

9. All analyses were performed with SPSS 14.0.

10. Missing values were imputed using the “replace with mean” method.

11. SPSS uses the agglomeration coefficient as a heterogeneity measure. The allocation of individuals to groups stops when the successive coefficient values between steps show a substantial increase in heterogeneity.

12. The Kruskal–Wallis test is used to compare groups when the normality assumption of ANOVA is not verified.

13. The p-values from these tests should be considered as approximations to the true p-values since the clusters are non-random.

14. These suggestions are likely to be implemented. Some actions are being put into practice in order to fully allow tourism management operations. For example, ICNB, after recent restructuring, has been organized in order to support the PPA management regarding, among other aspects, nature-based tourism. Moreover, Tourism of Portugal (the governmental agency for tourism) finances nature-based tourism activities to be carried out by private operators within the parks; in fact, nature-based tourism is considered a strategic tourism product.