Understanding Visitors at an Urban Park by Profiling of Destination Attributes

Abstract

A park has a variety of attributes, providing beautiful natural scenery and a place to rest as well as a cultural space in which performances and events are held. This study aimed to examine the various destination attributes that a place has, specifically, the resources of an urban park, by profiling visitors according to these destination attributes. The study setting, Gwanggyo Lake Park (GLP), is located in Suwon City and is in the limelight as an eco-friendly leisure and tourism destination in South Korea. As a result of profiling 595 visitors through an application of Latent Profile Analysis (LPA), three types of profiles were obtained: “Relaxation Leisure Seekers (RLS),” “Nature Environment Seekers (NES),” and “Ecological Experience Seekers (EES).” There were differences by type in visiting patterns, environmental propensity, distance from residence, and income. The results allow a better understanding of the various attributes of the park as an ecological tourism destination by visitor profile and profile-specific characteristics. Due to COVID-19, more people are visiting parks, which are natural outdoor spaces. This study provides implications for both theoretical and practical aspects of natural resource management in that it profiles visitors by highlighting parks as both leisure and tourism destinations.

Interplay between greenspace interactions and sense of place in Seoul City

“…Notably, environmental GI, which indicates individual recognition of biodiversity, ecosystems, and green stewardship, plays a significant role in the GI-GSP relationship. This insight aligns with increasing attention toward urban nature in South Korea's capital region, ranging from individual (Baek et al, 2020) to political efforts by local governments (Choi and Kim, 2022). Baek et al (2020) found that urban residents' desire to engage with nature correlates strongly with their intention to visit greenspaces.…”

“…This insight aligns with increasing attention toward urban nature in South Korea's capital region, ranging from individual (Baek et al, 2020) to political efforts by local governments (Choi and Kim, 2022). Baek et al (2020) found that urban residents' desire to engage with nature correlates strongly with their intention to visit greenspaces. Their study supports the present study's findings that environmental GI has the strongest influence on greenspace perception.…”

“…Despite these findings, the study has limitations and suggests directions for future research. The survey did not account for the purpose of visiting greenspaces, although this could influence GSP development (Baek et al, 2020). Moreover, while 'sense of place' originally belongs to qualitative research domain, which better conveys individual perceptions, this study employed quantitative methods.…”

Visitors’ Evaluation of Destination Attributes of Penglipuran Village

“…Destination attributes are qualities or characteristics of a destination. They pull visitors to a particular destination and engage in a particular tourist activity (Baek, et al, 2021). Destination attributes will be perceived by the visitor during their visit (Jumanazarov, Kamilov, & Kiatkawsin, 2020), thus reflecting their overall satisfaction (Djeria, et al, 2018;Biswas et al, 2020).…”

“…Destination attributes will be perceived by the visitor during their visit (Jumanazarov, Kamilov, & Kiatkawsin, 2020), thus reflecting their overall satisfaction (Djeria, et al, 2018;Biswas et al, 2020). Evaluating destination attributes will result in awareness of a destination management organization towards its strengths and weaknesses (Pike & Kotsi, 2018;Djeria, et al, 2018;Jumanazarov, Kamilov, & Kiatkawsin, 2020;Baek, et al, 2021), thus providing them with the ability to develop strategies to cope with the weaknesses, and improve the satisfaction of its visitors.…”