A study of geographical distance groups on length of visitors’ stay at local food festival destinations

Abstract

The primary aims of this study are to (1) explain the geographical distance groups (GDGs) in relation to the origin of visitors to local festival destinations, (2) examine the probability of visitors staying overnight at a festival destination as affected by GDGs and salient trip-related variables, and (3) identify the effects of GDGs and trip-related variables on length of stay (LOS). Data were collected during two local food festivals in the Midwestern area of the United States in 2010. The results of this study reveal that the consideration of geographical distance is most beneficial in capturing the target market for local festivals. Additionally, it is also found that LOS and overnight stay is predicted by the visitors’ trip-related characteristics of the destination, such as the number of previous visits to the festival, immediate group size, and distance from festival. From the results and findings of this study, managerial and academic implications are offered.

The impact of multidimensional country distances on consumption of specialty products: A case study of inbound tourists to Japan

“…It is widely acknowledged that cultural distance (CD) correlated with tourist behavior such as destination selection (Money and Crotts, 2003) and tourism attributes (Ahn and McKercher, 2015). A number of studies have examined the impacts of geographic distance (GD) on tourism attributes (Lee et al, 2014) such as the attractiveness of a destination (McKercher, 1998) and travel style (Hwang and Fesenmaier, 2003; Tideswell and Faulkner, 1999). However, most studies also neglect the multidimensionality of economic distance (ED) and administrative distance (AD), as claimed by scholars in international business (Beugelsdijk et al, 2017; Lysonski et al, 1996).…”

Gastronomic experiences of foreign tourists in developing countries. The case in the city of Oruro (Bolivia)

“…The quest for new experiences related to cuisine in specific destinations has been analysed by a number of researchers (Bertella, 2011; Lee et al., 2014; Su, 2013) who conclude that gastronomy has become a relevant pull factor for the tourist.…”

Modelling tourists’ length of stay

“…Since OLS regression has not been used much in prior LOS modelling studies, however, there is no established criterion as to what qualifies as a ‘good’ model fit. Lee et al’s (2014) R 2 was 21%.…”

“…The results of the three heterogeneity-adjusted models appear in Table 1 (in Accelerated Failure Time (AFT) metric) alongside the results of the plain OLS regression model. 10 Following Lee et al (2014), the travel distance variables were operationalized as sets of dummy variables to allow for possible non-linear effects on LOS.…”

“…Travel distance as a determinant of other tourism behaviour is an under-researched topic according to McKercher (2008). It is therefore not surprising that the relationship between travel distance and LOS was only very recently scrutinized for the first time (Lee et al, 2014). 9 The present study adds to Lee et al’s work in using a larger data set and considering the effects of both travel distance in kilometres and hours as possible determinants of LOS.…”