Ski – resort and regional development: profile of visitors ... - E-Journal

Leisure tourists’ considerations regarding destinations recently experiencing safety and/or security problems
Table No 7: Reasons that convince leisure tourists to visit destinations after a safety or security
incident
The reason that by far would convince most respondents to visit such a destination (66%) is
to have friends or relatives staying at that destination. This proves the importance of the VFR
market which is a rather under researched field. Some would argue that the VFR market is
less lucrative because it attracts people of a low income level since they prefer to be
accommodated at their friends’ or relatives’ home to save on related expenses. However, 79%
of people with an annual income level of more than f45.000 would be convinced to visit
such destinations provided that they have a friend or relative staying there. This demonstrates
that it is not merely a question of money but of feeling safer and more secure with someone
who knows the destination well. This might be combined with a significant 50% of respondents
who say that they would be convinced to visit such a destination if they are already familiar
with it, that is by having visited it in the past.
A reason chosen by 51% of participants and especially women (64%) is the ability to return
home easily in case a safety or security incident occurs. The reason “time elapsed from the
safety and/or security incident” is an equally essential aspect that would convince 49% of
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