Abstracts for Session 32

Other themes

Title: Motivation-based segmentation of Visitors to a UNESCO Global Geopark

Authors: Suzanne Amaro,  Nair Chaves, Carla Henriques, and Cristina Barroco

Affiliation: Polytechnic Institute of Viseu

Given the sustained growth that Geotourism has experienced worldwide, it is crucial to gain a better understanding of geotourists. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine tourists’ motivations for visiting geoparks, segment them accordingly and characterize each segment. An online questionnaire was developed to collect information from visitors of the Arouca Geopark - UNESCO Global Geopark and was completed by 603 who had visited this park at least once. Respondents were asked about their motivations for visiting the park using 18 items that were combined into five dimensions through an exploratory factor analysis. These dimensions (escape from routine, nature and adventure, knowledge-seeking, socialization, sports and adrenaline) were the basis for a cluster analysis that revealed four segments of visitors: the Want It All geotourists (representing 27% of the sample), that have the highest levels for all motivations; the True geotourists (19.9%) which highest levels of motivations were on the three motivations that typically define a geotourist: nature/adventure, knowledge seeking and socialization; the Sporty and Adventurous geotourists (34.4%) whose strongest motivations were sports/adrenaline and escape from routine; the Accidental geotourists (18.6%) who scored lowest for all motivations and are motivated essentially by the escape from routine and by nature/adventure. These segments were then further profiled based on other variables such as age, gender, satisfaction, quality of experience, among others. The segmentation and description of each segment found in this study provide a better understanding of the typology of visitors to Geoparks, which is crucial for better management of such places.

Title: Holiday well-being emerging from sauna bathing: Insights to travelers’ well-being from experiences with the Finnish sauna culture

Authors:  Hannele Kauppinen-Räisänen, Minna-Maarit Jaskari, Henna Syrjälä, Hanna Leipämaa-Leskinen, and Jon Lahti

Affiliation: University of Vaasa

Contemporary research has recognized wellness being an increasingly crucial aspect of tourism.

Holiday wellbeing relates to a traveler’s short-term desire for well-being, a sense of contentedness, that is perceived during a trip and that potentially affects an individual’s overall well-being. Sauna bathing is recognized as part of human well-being and a trigger to wellness tourism in Finland. Moreover, the Finnish sauna culture is recognized as a World intangible cultural heritage.

In the Finnish culture, sauna bathing is part of the national culture providing an ordinary experience for inhabitants, but an utmost extraordinary experience for tourists. Past research has focused mostly on specific characteristics of the sauna and the health benefits of sauna bathing, however, there is a lack of understanding on how the experiential value of sauna bathing is constructed among tourists. To fill this gap, the purpose of this paper is to investigate how the multidimensional experience value of sauna bathing is constructed.

The qualitative data were gathered through 31 face-to-face interviews with 41 hotel guests at sauna departments in five hotels in Finland in 2020. The rich data was analyzed abductively using the consumer value framework as an analytical tool. The findings reveal how sauna bathing is a holistic, multifaceted, and multidimensional experience resulting from several different types of consumer value; economic, social, hedonic, and altruism. The study provides insight to multiple marketplace actors, such as service providers, health professionals, and tourism destination marketers, on understanding the experiential value of sauna bathing in holiday well-being.

Keywords: Holiday well-being, consumer experience marketing, sauna bathing, sauna experience

Title: Tourist destinations and travel routes in Iceland

Authors: Gyða Þórhallsdóttir

Affiliation: University of Iceland

Iceland has traditionally been a nature and a summer destination with high tourism seasonality. It has long been the aim of the Icelandic government to create a whole-year industry as widely in the country as possible, by distributing visitors more evenly both spatially and temporally. For the whole country to benefit optimally from this new industry it is important to understand seasonality, where tourists stop to visit and their main travel routes from one site to another.

The aim of this study is to analyse which sites foreign tourists visit during their stay in Iceland and, whether clear travel routes or patterns within the country can be discerned. Iceland is an island, and the main entry/exit gate is Keflavík International Airport, used by 99% of all foreign tourists. Tourists are counted when leaving the country so nationwide information is available about the total number of tourists. Tourists are also counted at main nature destinations. Furthermore, questionnaires are regularly used to gain specific information about tourists, their perception of travel in Iceland, length of stay, mode of travel, etc.

In this study, questionnaire data collected by Tourism Research and Consulting is used together with data from vehicle counters operated by The Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration on main roads, and data from vehicle counters at main nature destinations. Data for the year 2019 will be presented and analysed. The main travel routes will be identified and analysed, as well as the degree of seasonality at main tourist destinations.