Reducing visitor car use in a protected area: a market segmentation approach to achieving behaviour change

Abstract

This research uses a market segmentation approach to reducing transport-related environmental burdens from visitors, while maintaining economic benefit. The approach was tested in the Lake District National Park (UK). It aimed first to explore visitor transport behaviour using a social psychological framework, to understand what might best predict desired behaviour change (i.e. reduced visitor car use). Second, it developed and tested different types of marketing messages to reduce car use, based on persuasive communication theory, establishing marketing propositions appropriate to different visitor types and market segments. Third, it identified market segments with both a high propensity towards positive behavioural change and the highest economic contribution to the destination. The work is based on Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behaviour and on persuasive communication. Three hundred and ninety completed questionnaires were obtained. The paper emphasises the importance of context in successful communication to influence behaviour and shows that a market segmentation approach to behavioural change can be successful. Complex patterns of visitor mobility and modal choice emerge. For example “New Explorers” and “Familiar Families” are most likely to reduce their car use (45% and 48% respectively) and less likely to perceive this as difficult.

在保护区域里减少参观者汽车的使用：一个市场分区的方法来达到行为改变

这篇文章运用了市场细分的方法来降低因为旅游者使用交通给环境造成的压力，同时有益于经济发展。对于这种方法的测试是在英国湖区公园进行的。测试的目标首先是用社会心理学的框架来探索旅游者在使用交通时的行为，了解什么是最期望的行为转变（如降低消费者对汽车的使用）。其次，用说服性沟通理论发展和测试了不同的市场信息在降低汽车使用方面的作用，建立了适合不同类型游客和细分市场的营销主张。再次，辨别出既有益于让消费者行为朝着积极的方向发展，同时又有益于经济增长的旅游目的地市场细分方法。这些工作基于阿杰恩1988年的计划行为理论和说服性沟通理论，也在很大程度上参考了恰尔蒂尼2007年的理论，通过获取390份完成的调查问卷来进行的。这篇文章强调了语境在和消费者交流来改变行为习惯中的重要性，并且证明可以通过市场细分的方法来成功改变消费者行为。游客的流动性和情态选择的出现使得情况更加的复杂。例如，“新探索者”和“熟悉的家庭”更加倾向于减少他们的汽车使用量（分别为45%和48%）并且觉得这并不太难。

Keywords:

• visitor car use
• market segmentation
• sustainable visitor behaviour
• sustainable transport
• persuasive marketing
• National Parks

关键词:

• 游客汽车使用
• 市场细分
• 可持续旅游者行为
• 可持续交通
• 说服力营销
• 国家公园

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Cumbria Tourism, Friends of the Lake District and Natural England who funded the research; to TEAM Tourism colleagues who collaborated on the original consultancy report; to Dr Xavier Font at Leeds Metropolitan University for commenting on early drafts; and to the reviewers and editor for their helpful and detailed comments which have resulted in a much improved paper.

Notes

1. Natural England is an Executive Non-departmental Public Body responsible to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It aims to protect and improve England's natural environment and encourage people to enjoy and get involved in their surroundings (www.naturalengland.org.uk).The Friends of the Lake District is a charity, founded in 1934, to promote and organise action for the protection and conservation of the landscape and natural beauty of Cumbria and the Lake District. It has c. 6000 members. (www.fld.org.uk)

2. Non-serviced = self-catering/camping/caravanning, etc.; serviced = hotel/guesthouse/B&B.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Davina Joanne Stanford

Davina Stanford is a research fellow at Leeds Metropolitan University and teaches on the responsible tourism MSc. Her research interests include responsible tourist behaviour and destination management. Prior to joining Leeds Met Davina worked as a tourism consultant and was involved in more than 30 consultancy projects over five years, primarily focusing on best practice in destination management. She has worked for a range of clients and stakeholders including destination management organisations, local authorities, regional, national and international agencies (e.g. the Regional Development Agencies, Natural England, UNEP and UNWTO), small businesses and local community groups. Davina was a Commonwealth Scholar, undertaking doctoral research at Victoria University of Wellington. Her PhD research looked broadly at issues of tourism behaviour and visitor stewardship in New Zealand and identified influences and constraints on responsible tourism in this context.