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

Tourist characteristics and demand for tourism destination products in nigeria, tropical africa
of tourists. However, more recent studies, specifically, Parolin (2001) and Moscardo (2001)
revealed rather low association between travel patterns and some socio-economic characteristics
of tourists. Though Parolin identified some common types of travel demand patterns in the
structure of day trips in New South Wales, but these were specific to some socio-economic
segments only. Similarly, Moscado (2001), revealed no significant differences for overall trip
enjoyment between tourists from within the local region or overseas, or between tourists of
various ages and travel groups on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia.
The second approach posits that tourist’s product choice or demand depends on social, cultural
or national group of tourists. The individual tourist’s is believed to be influenced by the social,
cultural or nationality groups they belong. Thus, the collective value, taste, lifestyle and
characteristics of social, national or cultural groups are interpreted as instrumental in moulding
individual tourist’s behaviour and taste in some structured manner (Holloway & Plant, 1998).
Earlier studies that investigated product demand and preference patterns of tourists in the
context of social, cultural and national groups include Burch (1986), Check (1981), and O’
Leary (1981). These studies showed that the social group is the most common unit of
participation amongst tourists, when individuals are compared to groups; with the family
emerging the most frequent visitor group identified by Goffman (1971). Other similar and
more recent studies such as, Field and O’ Leary (2001), showed tourist’s groups as the peer
group, the family group and a combination of family and friends participating in like activities
in areas they visited. Butler (1991), and Holloway and Plant (1998), suggest that there is a
strong tendency for individuals to conform to the norms and values of social groups (peers,
students, workmates, friends, neighbours) and relations, cultural, national or regional groups
in their aggregate patterns of demand for tourism products. The assumption that culture,
nationality or social group influences tourist’s behaviour undoubtedly informs a major motive
why the British tourism authority regularly monitors different tourists’ markets from various
countries and regions in their tourism product demand (English Tourism Board, 1983; Medlik,
1985).
The third approach explains tourists’ destination product demand and participation patterns
as a function of available resources; that is destination product supply tends to influence
tourists’ demand. Both supply and demand factors in tourism destinations are thus viewed
as integrated and constituting a coherent system. There are practical reasons that suggest that
the nature and quality of environmental resources in tourism destinations influence tourists’
entering the market, as most facilities provided have been used by tourists. However, such
assumptions have been validated in only a few empirical studies such as those of Crompton
(1979), Gartner (1986), and Afolabi (1993). The variables used as surrogates for assessing
destination environment quality in previous studies include climate, distance, aesthetic pleasing
natural and cultural environmental features, facilities, amenities and service quality, etc (WTO,
1999; Mills and Morrison, 1985). Destination environment quality or pull factors was scored
much less than socio-psychological or push factor as determinant of travel demand in previous
studies by Pearce (1982), and Dann (1989). The physical components of destination environment
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