Evidence of Cumulative Attraction in Multidestination Recreational Trip Decisions

Abstract

Most destination demand models in the tourism and outdoor recreation literature are predicated on the assumption that when travelers leave home, they go to a single destina tion. This assumption is often fallacious, since many pleasure trips involve visits to mul tiple destinations. This study provides evidence of multiple destinations offering cumula tive attractions within a single trip. Multidestination travel is conceptualized as a constrained choice process in which individuals evaluate travel alternatives as bundles of attributes. Using a multistage sampling technique, each subject was given a unique set of six treat ment scenarios composed of three pairs of multidestination trips and asked to rate the likeli hood of going on each trip. Three destination attributes, each with two different levels, were used to characterize the destinations: tourism services and facilities, settings for relax ation and sport, and distance between the primary and secondary destinations. Conjoint analysis techniques indicated that preference for a destination was enhanced by inclusion of a combination of destinations.