Location
Gran Canaria
Participation
Not sure
Type of Submission
Paper Presentation
Short Abstract
This paper provides empirical evidence on the potential use of the meaning of sustainability for the tourist in segmentation studies. The analysis has been applied to a nature destination, specifically, in the “Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas” Biosphere Reserve. In the first place, this research identifies, through a cluster analysis, three segments of tourists based on what the tourist considers sustainability to be (level of knowledge and commitment, as well as its implications for the destination), analyzing for each segment their sociodemographic and socioeconomic variables and their willingness to pay to improve the sustainability of destinations.
The results show that it is possible to identify one or several segments of demand that show different levels of commitment, attitude, knowledge and/or behavior towards sustainability and calculate the amount of money that each segment is willing to pay to visit a more sustainable destination.
This research shows, however, that more than 70% of those surveyed are not willing to pay more to achieve a more sustainable destination, the reasons being very diverse, but, in any case, no significant differences being identified between the segments with respect to this question. The study concludes by discussing the potential of using the meaning of sustainability for the tourist as an important segmentation tool, aimed at facilitating the change towards a more sustainable tourism behavior, and allowing the design of pro-sustainable strategies and policies in tourist destinations.
Included in
TOURISTS’ MEANING OF SUSTAINABILITY AS A TOOL FOR SEGMENTATION. A BIOSPHERE RESERVE CASE STUDY
Gran Canaria
This paper provides empirical evidence on the potential use of the meaning of sustainability for the tourist in segmentation studies. The analysis has been applied to a nature destination, specifically, in the “Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas” Biosphere Reserve. In the first place, this research identifies, through a cluster analysis, three segments of tourists based on what the tourist considers sustainability to be (level of knowledge and commitment, as well as its implications for the destination), analyzing for each segment their sociodemographic and socioeconomic variables and their willingness to pay to improve the sustainability of destinations.
The results show that it is possible to identify one or several segments of demand that show different levels of commitment, attitude, knowledge and/or behavior towards sustainability and calculate the amount of money that each segment is willing to pay to visit a more sustainable destination.
This research shows, however, that more than 70% of those surveyed are not willing to pay more to achieve a more sustainable destination, the reasons being very diverse, but, in any case, no significant differences being identified between the segments with respect to this question. The study concludes by discussing the potential of using the meaning of sustainability for the tourist as an important segmentation tool, aimed at facilitating the change towards a more sustainable tourism behavior, and allowing the design of pro-sustainable strategies and policies in tourist destinations.
https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/itsa/ITSA2022/ITSA2022/36