MAHI TAAPOI
Sustainable Tourism Development
Copyright Mahi Taapoi, 2008-9. All Rights Reserved.
Mahi Taapoi is the specialist tourism development arm of Dialogue Consultants Ltd, Auckland and Wellington, Aotearoa-New Zealand
The Geotourism Study created eight Geotourism profiles of respondents to a large-scale survey through an examination of attitudes, behaviors and actual travel habits. Demographically the 154 million adult American travelers are somewhat different from Americans who do not travel. Most travelers (65%) are city-dwellers living in urban areas with populations of 500,000 or more. Four in ten (43%) are Baby Boomers between the ages of 35 and 54. About 30 percent are “Generation X and Y” (age 18 to 34), and 27 percent fall into the “Matures” category, age 55 and over. Nearly half (45%) of American travelers have a college education. Thus, the average annual household income among travelers is higher than that of the U.S. population in general ($62,720 vs. $57,047). Most American travelers work full or part time (68%) and 17 percent are retired. Four in ten have households with children under the age of 18 present.
To create a Geotourism profile of American travelers, this study covered several survey topics:
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Attitudes about pleasure/vacation travel outside their local areas -
Preferences for specific types of leisure trips
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Importance of different aspects of leisure trips
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Household, leisure or civic activities at home or within their local area
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Attitudes relating to culture, heritage or the environment
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Attitudes towards tourism as it pertains to their local area.
Overall, the majority of the traveling public (71%) indicates that it is important to them that their visits to a destination not damage its environment. Nearly two thirds agree (61%) that their travel experience is better when the destination preserves its natural, historic, and cultural sites and attractions. Many travelers (58%) support controlling access to National Parks and public lands so they can be preserved and protected. Over half (53%) of travelers agree that their travel experience is better when they have learned as much as possible about their destination’s customs, geography, and culture.
Results from the survey topics were also statistically combined and analyzed to segment travelers based on like responses. This segmentation process created eight market segments, each with unique Geotourism profiles.
Geotourists in the United States
Segmentation results showed that:
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Three segments share similar levels of income and a high incidence of travel, yet each possesses a somewhat unique Geotourism profile. Still, all three groups have the strongest Geotourism inclinations compared to the other market segments. In total, these three groups represent 55.1 million Americans, greater than one third of the total 154 million American travelers.
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Geo Savvys (16.3 million travelers)
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Urban Sophisticates (21.2 million travelers)
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Good Citizens (17.6 million travelers)
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Three other segments can be grouped by income and travel behaviors, though these three vary from each other in age, lifestages, and attitudes. These three segments can be considered potential markets for Geotourism. In total, these segments also make up more than a third (58.3 million) of all adult American travelers.
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Traditionals (16.1 million travelers)
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Wishful Thinkers (22.3 million travelers)
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Apathetics (19.9 million travelers)
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Two segments stand apart from the other traveler segments due to extreme attitudes and behaviors in travel. Ironically, these segments are also at opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of income and travel preferences. These two segments show the lowest potential for Geotourism behavior.
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Outdoor Sportsmen (21.0 million travelers)
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Self-Indulgents (19.9 million travelers).
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Source: Travel Industry Association of America, (2002), The Geotourism Study: Phase I Executive Summary, Sponsored by National Geographic Traveller, 22pp
