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

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...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of sustainable tourism 2014-05, Vol.22 (4), p.666-683
Main Author: Stanford, Davina Joanne
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Automobiles
Behavior modification
Benefits
Choices
Communication
Communication Theory
Consumer behavior
Family
Market segmentation
Market segments
Marketing
Markets
Motor vehicles
National Parks
Parks
persuasive marketing
Questionnaires
Social marketing
Studies
sustainable transport
sustainable visitor behaviour
United Kingdom
visitor car use
可持续交通
可持续旅游者行为
国家公园
市场细分
游客汽车使用
说服力营销
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Summary: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.
ISSN:0966-9582
1747-7646
DOI:10.1080/09669582.2013.847944