Motivation-Based Segmentation of Visitors to a UNESCO Global Geopark

Abstract

Given the sustained growth that Geotourism has experienced worldwide, it is crucial to gain a better understanding of geotourists. Therefore, this study aims to examine visitors’ motivations for visiting geoparks, segment them accordingly, and characterize each segment. An online questionnaire was developed to collect information from visitors of the Arouca Geopark—UNESCO Global Geopark and was completed by 607 who had visited this park at least once. Respondents were asked about their motivations for visiting the park using 18 items that were combined into five dimensions through exploratory factor analysis. These dimensions (Escape, Relaxation and Enjoyment, Novelty Seeking and Nature, Knowledge, Socialization, and Sports and Adrenaline) were the basis for a cluster analysis that revealed four segments of visitors: the Want it All Geotourists (representing 27% of the sample), that have the highest levels for all motivations; the True Geotourists (19.9%) which highest levels of motivations were on the three motivations that typically define a geotourist: nature/adventure, knowledge seeking, and socialization; the Sensation Seekers (34.4%) whose strongest motivations were sports/adrenaline and escape from routine; the Accidental Geotourists (18.6%) who scored lowest for all motivations and are motivated essentially by the escape from routine and by nature/adventure. These segments were then further profiled based on other variables such as age, gender, satisfaction, and quality of experience. The segmentation and description of each segment found in this study provide a better understanding of the typology of visitors to geoparks, which is crucial for better management of such places.