Abstract:As the demand for ecotourism and nature-based tourism increases, eco-lodges are becoming a popular alternative accommodation choice. Consequently, the development of an ecolodge industry has wider implications for countries such as Sri Lanka, especially when considering the country's high potential for ecotourism and the need to provide alternative forms of accommodation for increasing tourist arrivals. In the Sri Lankan context, the eco-lodge industry still remains relatively undeveloped and the understanding of characteristics of visitors who seek accommodation in ecolodges is limited. In this study, the author distinguished Asian and non-Asian ecotourist market segments visiting ecolodges in Sri Lanka, to enable ecotourism operators and policy makers to better tailor their products to target groups. A survey of 362 ecolodge occupants in 16 selected ecolodges found that the Asian and non-Asian visitor segments differ in terms of travel motivations, their perceptions on various ecolodge attributes, trip characteristics and demographics. However, both age and level of education were found to be strongly related in other studies. The study found that non-Asian ecotourists stay for longer periods by comparison with Asian ecotourists. Seeking novel experiences appeared to be the main motivation of Asian ecolodge occupants, and they typically demanded physically challenging activities. Non-Asians' motivation was friendliness of the people of the host country, followed by visiting nature and learning local customs. The management implications of distinguishing the Asian and non-Asian market segments are discussed.
Tourists around the world have become more environmentally conscious, and the demand for green holidays and green accommodation has experienced a rapid growth. In this background, the form of accommodation known as "eco-lodges" have gained a huge popularity, especially among those who are seeking environment friendly wilderness experiences. Extensive studies on characterisation of visitors seeking accommodation in ecolodges have been documented in the tourism literature. However, empirical studies conducted on understanding attitudes, perceptions, preferences and characteristics of visitors staying in eco-lodges in the Asian destinations are lacking. With Asian tourists gaining a greater share of Sri Lanka"s tourism market, a better understanding of such information on tourists is vital in ecotourism planning and development.This study aimed to develop and compare visitor profiles of Asian and non-Asian eco-lodge patrons in Sri Lanka"s eco-lodges. Visitors stayed one or multiple nights in 13 eco-lodges comprised the sampling framework for the study. Out of 450 questionnaires, there were 362 valid responses which accounted for 69.0% response rate. Both Asian and non-Asian ecolodge patrons were well-educated. However, they differed in terms of age (χ 2 =3.639, p=0.048) with more that 50% of the non-Asian segment belonging to age groups over 35 years. In terms of trip characteristics, both groups showed fairly similar length-of-stays. Non-Asian segment seems to prefer travelling with family, spouse or a partner (χ 2 =5.682, p=0.021). Some key differences were observed between the two groups in terms of travel motives and eco-lodge attributes that influenced their accommodation choice. Key differences in demographic characteristics, attitudes, perceptions, and preferences between the two visitor profiles are discussed along with implications for management.
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