Identifying tourists' preferences for Aboriginal tourism product features: implications for a northern First Nation in British Columbia

Abstract

Recent research on the Aboriginal tourism market has revolved predominantly around establishing a profile of the traveller interested in Aboriginal tourism (hereafter referred to as the Aboriginal tourism traveller). Currently, the Aboriginal tourism traveller is generally described as a mature individual who is interested in having authentic experiences of different cultures. However, there is a need for a better understanding of what specific products this particular traveller is interested in, and in what style, format or nature of delivery. The study presented in this article attempts to provide insight into this topic. In a collaborative research effort between Tl'azt'en Nation and the University of Northern British Columbia, a questionnaire containing four potential Aboriginal tourism product descriptions and 31 individual features of Aboriginal tourism products was administered to 337 visitors of northern British Columbia during the summer of 2007. Despite a primary interest in nature experiences by the majority of visitors, one-third of our sample demonstrated considerable interest in experiences of Aboriginal culture. Results suggest the need for marketing diverse Aboriginal tourism attractions to attract repeat visitors and for offering an introductory experience to Aboriginal culture for first-time visitors.

Keywords:

• community-based tourism
• market segmentation
• Aboriginal tourism
• product development
• visitor preference