Segmenting the Nature-Based Tourists Based on Travel Mode Choice

ABSTRACT

This paper examines the diverse nature tourism market in terms of two broad segments: package and independent types. Based on a number of theoretical assumptions obtained from the general tourism literature, four research models (main hypotheses) were developed to assess the relationship between the travel mode choice of nature tourists and a series of socio-demographic characteristics, trip features, travel activities and travel motives. The necessary data for the study were subsequently collected from 162 visitors at two separate nature-based attractions (wilderness centres) located in Northern Norway that played host to independent and package tour visitors. To test the proposed hypotheses, four separate logistic regression analyses were carried out. Results indicated that independent and package nature tourists differed significantly in terms of gender, age, annual household income, trip expenditure and trip length as well as for most of the travel activities and some of the travel motivations.

KEYWORDS:

• Package
• independent
• segmentation
• nature-based tourism
• nature tourists
• ecotourism