Rural tourism activities in mass tourism destinations: residents vs non-residents perspectives

• Published in: Tourism review (Association internationale d'experts scientifiques du tourisme) 2023-05, Vol.78 (3), p.778-793
• Main Authors: Fichter, Tim, Román, Concepción
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Culture; Emissions; Greenhouse gases; Nonresidents; Outdoor activities; Pandemics; Polls & surveys; Rural areas; Sustainable development; Tourism; Tourism development; Willingness to pay
• ISSN: 1660-5373; 1660-5373; 1759-8451
• DOI: 10.1108/TR-05-2022-0225

Purpose This paper aims to examine rural tourism preferences as an alternative niche market to mass tourism destinations. The analysis discusses the differences in perceptions and willingness to pay (WTP) for various packages of rural tourism activities in Gran Canaria Island among residents and non-residents. Design/methodology/approach The analysis is based on a convenience sample of potential young customers who are familiar with outdoor recreational activities in nature. This study considers a discrete choice experiment that includes the type of accommodation as well as four types of rural tourism activities: active, passive, cultural and aquatic. The degree of preference for the considered attributes is obtained from the estimation of different discrete choice models. Findings Results reveal that the inclusion of the investigated attributes in holiday packages increases tourists’ utility, which motivates the promotion of rural tourism for young residents and non-residents. The most significant differences in perceptions of attributes between residents and non-residents were found in the activities of diving/snorkelling and stargazing, as well as the type of accommodation and package price. Practical implications This study will contribute to a better understanding of an alternative tourism market which will help key stakeholders in the tourism sector to better serve this important segment of the industry and to encourage more sustainable tourism in the future. Originality/value To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study evaluating the WTP for rural tourism packages as a more sustainable alternative in mass tourism destinations and taking into account resident vs non-resident perceptions. 大众旅游目的地的乡村旅游活动:居民与非居民的观点 目的  本文将乡村旅游偏好视为大众旅游目的地的替代利基市场。该分析讨论了居民和非居民对大加那利岛各种乡村旅游活动的看法和支付意愿的差异。 设计/方法/方法  该分析基于熟悉户外休闲活动的潜在年轻客户的便利样本。该研究考虑了一个离散选择实验, 包括住宿类型以及四种类型的乡村旅游活动：积极、消极、文化和水上活动。所考虑属性的偏好程度是从不同离散选择模型的估计中获得的。 发现  结果表明, 度假套餐中包含调查的属性增加了游客的效用, 从而促进了年轻居民和非居民的乡村旅游。在潜水/浮潜和观星活动, 以及住宿类型和套餐价格方面, 居民和非居民对属性的认知差异最显着。 独创性  据作者所知, 这是第一项评估农村旅游套餐的支付意愿作为大众旅游目的地更可持续的替代方案的研究, 并考虑了居民与非居民的看法。 实际影响  该研究将有助于更好地了解替代旅游市场, 这将有助于旅游业的主要利益相关者更好地服务于该行业的这一重要部分, 并鼓励未来更可持续的旅游业。 Actividades de turismo rural en destinos de turismo de masas: Perspectivas de residentes vs no residentes Resumen Objetivo  Este trabajo examina las preferencias del turismo rural como nicho de mercado alternativo a los destinos turísticos de masas. El análisis discute las diferencias en las percepciones y