The role of landscape preferences in the travel decisions of railway passengers: Evidence from Hungary

Abstract

When surveying the motivation side of travel and tourism, we can state that tourists consider in their travel decisions, certain landscape preferences – to a certain extent. It also seems to be evident, however, that the objective evaluation of a landscape is a hard task for researchers for numerous reasons. In recent decades, several attempts have been made to create such methods but it seems that, in Hungary at least, this topic is rather neglected. The aim of this study is to provide an evaluation method for the landscape preferences of passengers travelling on Hungarian railway lines, demonstrating how the landscape around the railways could become an attraction during the travel. We survey what types of landscape appearance would be needed in order to generate travel decisions for tourists and also how the travel experience itself could become a tourism product.

Generation-Z and travelling interest in Tebing Tinggi

“…For some, the scenery is the primary reason for traveling, and they may select their destinations based on their natural or architectural wonders. They may choose to hike, camp, or take nature walks to experience the beauty of nature up close, or they may prefer guided tours of historical landmarks and cultural sites to learn more about the history and art of a particular place (Somogyi & Csapó, 2018). In addition to providing aesthetic pleasure, appreciating the scenery through travel can also help people connect with the natural world and develop a deeper appreciation for the environment.…”

Dynamic Visual Landscape Assessment of Disused Railway in Complex Terrain: A Study of Jingmen Railway

“…Among these three modes, reusing disused railways as transportation facilities involves incorporating them into urban rail transit systems, including conversion into light rail, tramways, and suburban railway lines, or converting them into urban roads to serve the transportation needs of the city [16]. Some of the disused railways that are part of industrial heritage > REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MANUSCRIPT ID NUMBER (DOUBLE-CLICK HERE TO EDIT) < can be transformed into tourist railways or tourist attractions, fully exploring the cultural heritage value of the railways and the natural landscape value along the line [17], [18]. Those railways that are not suitable for continuing to serve transportation functions nor have a strong preservation value which can be transformed into public spaces to improve the quality of urban public life.…”

“…Railway sightseeing is dynamic, which needs to consider the speed of the train, the angle and field of view from which passengers observe the scenery outside the carriage. Somogyi and Csapó proposed that visual evaluation should be part of the tourist motivation in their railway passenger landscape preference research [18]. Previous studies have mentioned the importance of visual evaluation of railway passengers, but not considered the perspective inside the carriage, and the use of digital technology can achieve scene simulation restoration.…”

Mapping Landscape Perception: An Assessment with Public Participation Geographic Information Systems and Spatial Analysis Techniques

“…How a landscape is perceived relates to aesthetic judgment, a sense of place, identity, recreation, the familiarity of the setting, attractiveness, and a wide range of ecosystem services (e.g., [3][4][5][6]). Hence, landscape perception is crucial with regard to aesthetic preferences, well-being, landscape character assessment, tourism, travel motivation, planning, and regional development [7][8][9][10][11].…”